


Familiae

by NikkiWolfe



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Animal Traits, Anxiety Attacks, Berserk Rage, Black Mamba Savage, Bonding, Carter Lives, Cheetah Jax, Depression, Dragon Mick, F/F, F/M, Hawk Kendra and Carter, Leonard Lives, M/M, Magic, Multi, Mythical Rip Hunter, Probably OT9, Rabbit Martin, Relationships to be added - Freeform, Rip Centric, Rip Needs A HUg, RipFic, Self-Hatred, Sentient Gideon, Slow Burn, Snow Leopard Leonard, Tags to be added, Team as Family, White Canary Sara, Wolf Ray, eventually, rating to go up, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2018-09-26 12:12:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 42
Words: 189,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9895994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikkiWolfe/pseuds/NikkiWolfe
Summary: The meteorite affected more then just the people in the temple. It affected the entire world. It gave humans their Animalis traits. Animalis traits that are based off a persons personality, everything ranging from simple household cats and dogs to mythical beings like Fae and Dragons.Rip Hunter has recruited a group of widely different people to defeat Savage. He struggles with leading this team, keeping them alive without getting attached and hiding a dark secret from his past hidden from them .This will loosely follow the series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I have had this idea in my mind for months and it wouldn't leave me alone, so I decided to write it out. It kind of sucks that there aren't many fics based around Rip, so this story is mainly Rip Centric. I have five chapters written already so hopefully I will be able to update weekly. 
> 
> I do have some writing experience but I would still love some helpful criticism. Anything to help me become a better writer.

Rip Hunter was exhausted. It had been a very long few days and all he wanted to do was curl up in bed a sleep the next day away. All this stress was getting to him, as he could feel his Animalis itching under his skin. Who knew that supervising a team of heroes and crooks could get this hectic?

Bringing eight heroes and villains onto his ship was a decision made out of desperation. He had needed a team to take down Savage, and this group had seemed like the best choice despite their differences. So he went about and brought this team together. On the roof top in Star City, he could see their doubt, their confusion, and for some, their disbelief. But he has always had a way with words and by the time his spiel about heroes and legends, he was sure they would join him. He had just needed to give them time to think over their options.

He wasn’t wrong. When he showed up in the empty lot, all eight of them were waiting. He gave them a rare smile, excitement rising at the possibility of finally ending Savage, once and for all. He did feel slightly bad about lying to them, but he needed them on the Waverider and he was willing to do whatever he needed to achieve that. The moment he revealed his ship, he could see the looks of awe and amazement and he knew in that moment, he had them hooked.

He should have known that it could not be that easy.

The first mission went horribly wrong, having met up with Professor Boardman, then the fight with Chronos. The death of Boardman had his team turning against him, making him have to admit some of his secrets, about his wife and his child. He was sure then that they would demand to be taken home and he was ready to do so. He was starting to feel that he should not have brought them onto this ship, and put them into danger. This was not their problem and yet he had dragged them into this. But his team surprised him, agreeing to come along with him on this suicide mission despite the fact that he had lied about almost everything he had told them.

He thought that maybe after this little mishap, they would be able to work better as a team, but once again he was wrong. Their next stop did not go any better having Savage confront their team, seeing their powers, and ruining their chance of surprise. And to make matters worse, Raymond had left a piece of his suit at scene, which Savage had found and everything went downhill from there. To Martin meeting his past self, invading a bank with Sara and having Leonard and Mick run off in the jumpship with Jax was only the few things that happened. In all of his time as a Time Master, has he never had this much excitement in just a few days. And of course, no one listened to him when he explained that what they were planning to do was idiotic and dangerous to the time line. He was ignored as usual, but he wasn’t really expecting anything else.

By the end of it all he was exhausted, slumped in a chair in his office with a glass of whiskey in his hand. The team had scattered around the ship, metaphorically licking their wounds. Everyone had made it out with minor injuries, which he was grateful for. He had predicted a rough start, but it seemed like Fate was against him from the beginning. 

He gave a bitter laugh at how true that thought seemed to be, before draining his glass and standing up. He made his way to his room, hoping hoping that he could at least a few hours of sleep before having to get up to do some more research. He had told the team that they would take then next few days off to recover in both body and mind. And hopefully, they would be able to improve their team work because if another mission goes as badly as the one they just had, then they would never end up killing Savage. A flash of pain went through his heart at the thought of what he could lose if they failed.

He didn’t realize that he had stopped in the middle of the hallway, so immersed in his thoughts. He shook his head, hoping to shake these thoughts before he got to bed or he would never sleep. He continued on towards his room but stopped again when he heard laughter. He would have thought that the team was getting some rest, but apparently not. He followed the noise to discover just who was still up. He ended up in the rec room, looking upon a very interesting scene.

Mick, Leonard and Sara were splayed out on the couch as some cheesy spy movie playing on the big screen. Mick was lying with his feet up on the coffee table and his blood red dragon wings stretched out behind him, taking up a good portion of the room. He had his arm around Leonard’s shoulder, his fingers playing with Sara’s hair. Sara was curled up to Leonard’s side, her white canary wings spread over him as a makeshift blanket. Leonard was in the middle of this pile, his snow leopard tail curled around Sara’s leg and Rip was sure he could hear some purring. He hadn’t realized that they had gotten this close over the short few days this team has been together. 

He stepped back as quietly as he could, and shook his head. He knew that he couldn’t prevent this team from getting close. After all, Animalis' are social creatures, especially the species of this team. To prevent them from socializing would be psychological suicide for them. So he let them be. After all, they could be somewhere else causing trouble. Which reminded him that he should probably check on the others.

“Gideon, where are the rest of the team?”

“Professor Stein and Mr. Jackson are currently in their shared room, catching up on their sleep. Mr. Palmer is in the lab working on his suit, and both Ms. Saunders and Mr. Hall are in the library.”

It seemed like Martin and Jax are the only people that any kind of sense. He hoped that the rest would soon realize that they need their own rest so that he wouldn’t have to remind them. He knew that people had their own way of dealing with stress, he very well couldn’t judge them for his own methods are much more extreme, so he decided to leave them be. After all, nobody knew their own limits better than themselves. And he knew that Gideon would take care of them.

He made it to his room without anymore stops and couldn’t stop the groan of relief when he fell onto his bed. He hadn’t realized just how tired he was. He felt his muscles relax and he knew he would be sleeping soon. “Gideon,” he slurred. “Make sure they don’t destroy anything, or do anything reckless. Or steal anything. Or hurt anyone.”

“Of course, Captain,” Gideon’s bright voice echoed through his room. He waved his hand and Gideon, having known him for so long, recognized the gesture and shut the lights off. He shuffled around his bed until he got into a comfortable enough position. His mind drifted off, dreaming of a pack a baby animals terrorizing his ship and destroying his stuff.

Waking up after a much needed sleep has never been one of Rips favourite things to do. Mainly because he didn’t want to do it. He didn’t want to wake up, or get out of his warm and comfortable bed. If he could sleep for days, he would. But the insistent knocking on his door forced him out of bed and to the door, muttering a few curses.

“What?” He mumbled, his brain still immersed in the world of sleep. He leaned heavily on the door frame, his eyes closed and hoping that whatever they had dragged him out of bed for wasn’t too important so that he could go back to bed.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize that you were sleeping,” Raymond’s bright voice echoed through his room, and Rip groaned internally. Just what he needed, a happy go lucky wolf at his door. He forced his eyes open to glare at the man, who had a bright smile on his face and his tail was going wild behind him. 

“What were you expecting me to be doing? We’ve had a rough few days and I needed my sleep,” Rip wished that Raymond would leave so that he could go back to sleep. He was practically sleeping standing up.

“Well, it has been almost fourteen hours since we got back from the ship so I didn’t think you would still be sleeping,”

Rip blinked in surprise. Fourteen hours? Had he really slept that long? That hadn’t happened for a long while, and now he understood why he was so sluggish at the moment. He could go days without sleeping, then sleep only four or five hours and then repeat this cycle. If he slept any longer then eight hours, then his body believed that he needed more sleep and he ended up feeling tired and sluggish for the rest of the day. “Is there something you need, Mr. Palmer?”

“Everybody wanted to have a team brunch and I was tasked to come and get you,” Raymond was still smiling which was kind of creeping him out. How can one person be so happy all the time? He was going to turn him down, but the mention of food made him realize just how hungry he really was.

“Fine, Ill be there in a few minutes,” Without waiting for an answer, he shut the door and sighed. He didn’t really want to spend time with the team to prevent himself from getting too close. Nothing good ever came from having people too close. But he supposed that one breakfast couldn’t hurt. He also knew that if he didn’t go, Sara would be the one to come down and get him. He took a few minutes getting ready, making sure that he was somewhat presentable. He made it down to the kitchen before they sent someone else to fetch him.

“There you are. I thought that you had gotten lost. The food is getting cold,” Sara pulled him into the room. He didn’t even have time to react before he had found himself in a chair, placed between Leonard and Kendra. It seems like he was the last to arrive as everyone was already sitting around the table, which was piled with food. The moment he had sat down, everyone reached for the food nearest to them.

“You didn’t have to wait for me.” Rip mumbled, grabbing his mug of coffee, thanking whoever it was who had made some. 

“Of course we did. This is a team brunch, and this wouldn’t be a team without you,” Kendra gave him a gentle smile, unaware of the effect that her words had on him. He had never thought that they would see him as part of the team. From the way they had act in the past few days, meaning ignoring his advice from the start, he had believed that they only thought of him as the captain of this ship. And that was how it should have been. But once again, his team had done the exact opposite of what he had been expecting. Maybe he should stop having low expectations of this team.

“Who made all this food anyway?” He reached out and shoveled some eggs and bacon onto his plate. 

“Mick did.” Leonard said, while nursing a coffee. At Rip’s disbelieving look, he gave a rare smile. “He’s actually very good at cooking. You should try his homemade Mac and Cheese, or his cinnamon french toast. They are to die for,”

“I didn’t know you cooked, Mr. Rory,” Rip flicked his eyes over to Rory, who was sitting between Leonard, and Jax. He wasn’t paying much attention to anything other then the food. 

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, English,” He managed to get out around a mouthful of food. Rip knew that dragons had a normally insatiable need for everything, but couldn’t they have a little more manners? 

Though the comment about not knowing him was true. He knew only what he needed to know if they were good for this mission. He didn’t need to know more and if he did start to get them more, he was afraid that he would get too close to them. He had a lot of people out there that hated him and would stop at nothing to make him suffer, including hurting this team, so he was desperately trying to avoid attachments. Also, when they finished this mission, he would be sending them home so there would be no need for him to get close to any of them. But it was only a few days into this mission and it seemed like this team had grown closer then he had hoped. Which normally wouldn’t be a problem, until they tried adding him into this team. He could tell that this was going to get very difficult to keep his distance. Which was funny because his entire life under the Time Masters have taught him nothing but isolation. To keep his distance from time line events except when he had to change things, so that he didn’t get attached. He had spent this life being alone, and now on a ship full of heroes and criminals, he was forgetting all of his training. 

Rip played around with his food, finding that he no longer had an appetite. He watched in amusement as his team got into many antics. Raymond and Martin were deep in a conversation about something he couldn't quite hear. Leonard, and Mick were trying to explain to Jax the benefit of having partners when going against advanced security systems. Sara often input her own thoughts on the matter. Carter and Kendra were sharing food, trying to see if they ever liked this kind of food in their past lives, and making random comments about the flavour of everything they ate. The room was loud with chatter and for a moment, Rip felt like maybe this could work. This team was becoming less like a team and more like a family. And again, Rip had to remember that this was only the first few days on this mission. 

“Hey, Rip?” Jax’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?” Rip raised his eyes from his food to see not not only Jax but the rest of his team staring at him. He had a feeling like he just missed something important. “Did you say something, Mr. Jackson?”

Jax’s lips twitched into a smile, and he shrugged hesitantly. “Yeah, I wanted to know if I could ask a question. It’s kind of personal though,”

Rip shrugged. “Sure, but know that I might not answer it,”

He briefly heard Leonard mutter something, but his attention was solely on Jax. 

“Uh, I wanted to know, well we all wanted to know why you are repressing your Animalis? I mean, it takes a lot of effort to do so and it just seems like a lot of work when it’s just us here,”

He was expecting this question sooner or later but Rip still tensed, many past memories jumping into his mind. He struggled to hide the shudder that went through him, breathing slow and deep to prevent any more signs from showing. His mind raced at the excuses he could come up with and he settled with the simplest answer. “It’s a Time Master thing, I suppose. We are taught from a young age to hide those parts to prevent people from gaining an advantage on us. Some species have a certain weakness, so we hide to protect ourselves,”

“Oh,” Jax looked a little disappointed at that answer as if he was expecting some grand answer about it, but he seemed at least satisfied. He went back to stuffing bacon into his mouth, his curiosity filled for the moment.

Rip flicked his eyes around the table to see the reactions of the others. Raymond, Martin and Kendra all looked saddened by the news, which didn’t surprise him. Those three were way too kind hearted. Carter, and Mick looked like they had lost interest in the conversation, for they were digging into the food once more. It was Leonard and Sara, who looked like they didn’t quite believe him, that made him worry. He knew just how stubborn they can get. 

“Oh? So you’re one of those species? One of the ones that has a weakness then?” Leonard asked, and Rip could see plainly that he was digging. 

He shrugged, using all of his training to keep his face blank. He would have to depend on all of his skills as a liar to make it through this one. “Not really. I mean, not all Time Masters are one of those species but it’s taught to everyone for the safety of everyone.”

“You’re on the ship now, so there’s no need to hide. Especially not from us,” Sara joined in, her eyes filled with curiosity and determination, Which definitely was not a good sign for him. 

“I know. It has just become a habit for me, so it’s easier for me to repress it.” Rip shrugged, hoping that this would be the last of this conversation. The truth was though, it wasn’t easy for him to hold back. It actually physically hurt all the time when he did but he could not risk having people find out. It would place not only him but the people he cared about, into danger. He knew that if his team were to dig any deeper, somethings might come out and that was the last thing he needed. If they knew what he truly was and what he has done, then they would never trust him again. 

His refusal to give more information seemed to just made the pair want to push more. Leonard had opened his mouth to ask another question when Rip was literally saved by the bell.

“Captain, I am sorry to interrupt but I may have found a lead to Vandal Savage’s whereabouts,” Gideon announced.

_Oh thank god_ , Rip thought as he jumped to his feet. He didn’t know how much more of this questioning he could take before they managed to see that he was not as calm as he appeared. “You guys can stay here and finish your meal. Gideon said that she may have found a lead. It’s not certain. It would be better if I did some research first.”

“Are you sure? I mean, I could help you with the research,” Martin stated, his white rabbit ears perking up at the thought of research. Martin, surprisingly enough, was actually interested in the mechanics of time travel.

“Thanks, but I can handle this on my own. Enjoy the rest of your meal,” 

With that, Rip left the room. Breathing a sigh of relief as he was finally out of that situation, his body relaxing. He hoped and prayed that they would just drop it, that they would forget about this and maybe having a mission would make them. 

“Gideon, did you really have a lead or were you just trying to save me?” He was curious because her timing seemed a bit coincidental to him. She was always paying attention to his vitals to make sure that he didn’t lose control. 

“Both, actually. I got the lead twenty seven minutes ago but you were in the middle of your meal so I didn’t want to interrupt. But I could see you getting stressed over Mr. Snart’s and Ms. Lance’s questions, so I decided to help you out,” 

Rip laughed a bit. Whoever said that AI’s couldn’t feel, has never met Gideon. She seemed genuinely concerned for him and it made him feel slightly better that someone could care about him without getting hurt. “Thanks, Gideon.”

“You’re very welcome, Captain,”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team continues to mess up missions, while Rip confronts an old friend. Things never go the way Rip plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first off, thank you to all who have given me comments and kudos. It means a lot to me that you like it enough to leave comments. I was actually quite surprised when they started coming in only a few hours after I posted it. SO, thank you again.
> 
> Second thing, I have decided that I will probably update every Monday and Thursday. Unless I fall behind on the writing, which might happen. So please have patience with me.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter. More AN at the end.

It turns out that this lead, which pointed to the files inside the pentagon, was a good lead. It just meant that they needed to break into the pentagon to steal them. Of course, Leonard and Mick were pretty excited at this prospect. It would probably on of their hardest targets, but Rip was prepared. Having the fabricator make genuine ID’s for the group going in, giving them the appropriate clothing and making sure that all of them, including Leonard, knew the plan. 

It should have gone well. 

It didn’t. Of course it didn’t.

It started well enough. Leonard lifted a security card, and passed it on to Sara and Kendra, who continued on to the next step. The two ladies managed to get in, and had retrieved the file. To prevent resistance and being spotted, he had Mick several sections away causing a distraction. He had to remind him to resort to a non- violent distraction. He found one in an arm wrestle with another army personnel. This distraction allowed Sara and Kendra the ability to get to the next step in the plan. Which is where Firestorm came in. He needed Firestorm to deal with the power underground, shorting it just long enough for the ladies to get through the door. It started going bad when Jax got blown away from the electrical panel, which caused an alarm to go off throughout the facility. 

The next few minutes were utter chaos. The team scrambled to complete their mission, with Mick, Leonard and Raymond getting out first. Kendra seemed to have a break down, going Berserk on a few marines unfortunately too close to her. Firestorm, who Rip had specifically told to use the door, had blasted through the roof and flew around to scoop up the rampaging hawk. The rest of the team managed to make it back to the ship with no injuries, which he was eternally grateful for, but more than a little pissed off at how this had ended. And he was sure to let them know once they got back to the ship.

“What the hell happened out there?” Rip demanded once everyone had entered the bridge. He had crossed his arms, and looked pissed off. This stance hardly affected any of them, as most of them either looked unbothered or rather proud. Though there was a discernible tension in the air. It was making him slightly uncomfortable but he needed to do this.

“I think that went rather well, considering that it was the pentagon,” Leonard was one of the few that looked proud even though all he did was swipe a card. 

“Oh, really? Care to explain how Firestorm triggering the alarm, then blasting through the roof” He sent a pointed look to Jax, who had the decency to look guilty. “putting the rest of the team in danger. And having Ms. Saunders going Berserk on the local military, what were you thinking?”

Kendra looked very upset at that, her tawny brown wings hung low enough to touch the ground. “I don’t know what happened. I was fine, but then we were fighting and it just happened.”

“A Berserk Mode can’t ‘just happen’, Ms. Saunders. It needs to grow with intense rage, which this situation shouldn’t have invoked in you. So unless you are just one very angry bird, I don’t understand,” Rip felt bad about digging into this situation but something didn’t seem right. Berserk Mode is, like he said, brought on by intense rage. A person loses all rational thought, and gains an insatiable bloodlust. It’s almost impossible to stop someone when they go Berserk, so it’s better to just get out of the way and let it run it’s course. He has seen many people fall into this state of mind and have fell into a Berserk himself. He knew exactly how dangerous someone could be, so having someone fall into one on a mission was bad news. This mission’s outcome should not have induced that kind of rage in anyone, let alone one of the kindest people he knew. So seeing her like that had made him think that maybe something was wrong with her. 

“I’m sorry,” Kendra looked to be on the verge of crying.

“It’s okay, Kendra. I’m sure it could have happened to any of us,” Raymond said, a bright smile plastered on his face. Rip could tell he was just as curious as he was, but he didn’t want to dig. He just wanted to make the woman feel better. 

“No, it could not have,”

Rip turned to Carter, who was standing in the door way. He looked neither bothered, or even surprised. It seemed like he knew exactly what had happened.

“Care to explain why Ms. Saunders had this particular reaction, if you know so much?”

“When the meteorite hit, it gave us and the world our Animalis'. It also gave both of us the ability to reincarnate. You all know this by now. But what you don’t know is that it had also affected Kendra in a much more severe way.” Carter moved forward so that he was pressed against Kendra’s side, his own wings brushing against his soulmates, as an act of comfort. “The distance between anger and Berserk has been massively shortened. It is easier for her to slip into this mindless rage then others.”

Rip had a feeling that the meteorite had affected these two more then the rest of the world because they had been at the heart of it, but he had believed it to be rude to ask. He was now regretting that decision. He was glad that they had found this out before she had lost control on the ship or had hurt another team member. Though now that he did know, he didn’t what he would do to make sure this wouldn’t happen. But if what Carter was saying was true, then they might not even know how often it would happen, or how to recognize the signs. 

“So, she can go Berserk whenever she wants?” Jax asks, amazement and slight fear flashing in his eyes. 

Carter considered this question for a moment for a moment before shaking his head. “No. It’s just more then likely to happen in extremely stressful situations, like stealing from the pentagon.”

“So this will happen more often then?” Rip needed to know if having Kendra on this ship would put them in even more danger. There was already so many people after them that they didn’t need to add a member of this team to the list of who they needed to look out for. 

“No! I promise I will try harder to control it,” Kendra spoke up, as if she could tell what he was thinking. “My Berserks last a lot shorter then normally, and it’s easier for someone to pull me out of them. I want to be here, want to help stop Savage for good.”

“Okay, I think that this has gone on long enough,” Sara announced, standing up and moving over to the group. Rip had just noticed that some of the crew, mainly Mick and Leonard, had already left the room. He wanted to sigh at their carefree attitude but he sort of understood their feelings. He didn’t want to be having this discussion either, but it seemed like Sara was not going to give him much of a choice. “I can teach her control,”

“Berserk can not be controlled,” Rip sighed.

“No, but rage can be. I help her learn to control her emotions,” Sara gave him one of her ‘don’t mess with me, I’ve made up my mind’ looks but he had already made his choice. He couldn’t kick someone off the team for something as little as this. As far as he was concerned, the pair of thieves that they had on board have caused more trouble then Kendra.

“Okay, but you have to do it in the training room away from other people and let me knew when you are doing it so I can put up precautions,” Rip felt the tension in the air disappear, which he was grateful for. His skin was itching as his own Animalis reacted to the emotions of the people in the room. He had always been a bit more receptive to emotions, but he had gotten better at blocking them out. It didn’t help though when every single one on this team couldn’t block their emotions. He supposed it was due to the fact that normal Animalis can’t feel emotions unless they are part of a Familiae, which is just another word for bonded group. There are very few species who can feel emotions outside their bonded group, Rip’s own species being one of them. 

“Sure thing. Now, can we take a look at what we just risked our lives for?” Sara held up the folder, which had classified printed across the cover.

It was a file on a research facility in the Soviet Union, being funded by a mysterious donor. The lead research scientist, a woman by the name of Valentina Vostok, was doing some work for Savage so there was a good chance that the jaguar knew of his whereabouts. The plan was that Raymond would go in, seduce the woman and hopefully get some information from her. He had it all planned out but when did his plans ever work?

It turns out that she wasn’t interested in Raymond, but she was very interested in Leonard. The two big cats got along surprisingly well, but Leonard still didn’t get the information that they needed by the end of the night. But he did manage to grab her security card, so Rip let it slide. After all, it did get them into the facility. He sent the two of them in to find out more with Firestorm and Mick as backup. He had Sara start with Kendra’s anger problem right away, and sent Carter to make sure they don’t kill each other. 

He, on the other hand, had another lead. Gideon had reported a time anomaly just outside of Moscow, so he was on his way to check it out. He trusted the rest of team to do what they needed to do so he had no problem leaving this mission in their hands. 

He was kind of glad that he left the others behind when he discovered exactly what had cause the anomaly. Or rather, who had caused it. Coming face to face with his mentor, Zaman Druce, was something that he didn’t want the others to see. He had once followed this man blindly, trusting him completely. When he had turned his back Rip when he needed his support the most, it destroyed that trust he had built up. Now, his mind was screaming at him to not believe a single word that he said. So when the man offered to pardon Rip, and send his team back to their times if he surrendered peacefully, he immediately believed it to be a trick. A part of him wanted to believe Druce, for they had so much history together but he realized that there is a lot more at stake here then just his life. He would surrender when he knew that Savage was dead for good. 

“This is a good deal, Rip. You should take it before the time runs out,” Druce seemed so sure, so smug that he knew how this would turn out, that he was going to accept the deal. It seems like he didn’t know Rip as well as he had first thought.

“And if I refuse?” Rip greatly enjoyed the look of surprise on the older mans face. It has been quite a while that he has gotten this reaction from the man. 

Druce sighed, which Rip can tell was quite exaggerated, and he nodded sadly. “Well, then we’re going to have to take drastic measures to bring you back,”

_We?_ At that moment he heard the sound of a plasma rifle behind him. He spared a glance behind him to spot Chronos with a gun pointed at him. He should have known that this coward would never come alone. He always had someone else do the dirty work. This could get complicated if it got out of hand. Which he had a very bad feeling that it would if he wanted to get out of this mess. The Time Masters wanted him back and it looked like that they would do anything to make sure it happened. To him, this was starting to look more and more suspicious. 

“Come on Rip. You had everything you could have asked for with us and you leave it all behind for what? Revenge?”

Rip laughed bitterly. Of course he wouldn’t understand. They never did understand how he felt, stuck on the idea of not feeling at all. “Not revenge, justice. Not just for my family but for the thousands of lives that Vandal Savage has ruined. Do you not realize just how much damage he has caused?”

“We are aware of what he has been doing but it is not our duty to interfere in problems that do not affect the timeline. And that’s all you have been doing lately. Interfering with the timeline with this group of...misfits.” He said the last word with a disgusted curl of his lip, as if the idea that he would prefer this team to the Time Masters. His face soon fell back into the sad and disappointed look he seemed to enjoy. “You are going against everything that we stand for, and here I am offering you a chance to get you position back. Don’t you realize how lucky you are? If this was anyone else, we would not be interested in bringing them back alive,”

Trying to guilt him into going back? Trying to make it seem like they were doing him a favour by giving him another ‘chance’? As if he would believe any of that. The moment he was back at the Vanishing Point they would wipe his mind and make him into someone else, someone they can control. No. He was no longer the kind of person to just stand back and follow orders. He was going to kill Savage and then he was going after the Time Masters for answers.

Rip straightened up, taking on his cold and harsh look he reserved for people he _really_ didn’t like. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to decline your offer. The Time Masters mean nothing to me anymore.”

Druce pressed his lips together in annoyance. “Fine. Have it your way. You will surrender now and come with me back to the Vanishing Point, where you will stand trial for your crimes.”

“Oh will I now?” Rip couldn’t help the cocky attitude that slipped out. He just couldn’t believe how arrogant his mentor had become. He must remember how stubborn Rip could be with things that matter to him. “Let me guess. If I don’t, your buddy here,” He waved a hand at Chronos behind him, “will have to take ‘special measures’ to make sure that I do?”

This time Druce did crack a smile. In the past, it could put him at ease. All it did now was put him on edge. “Oh, no. Once you have been properly restrained, he’s going to find your rag tag group of heroes and he’s going to kill them,”

Rip’s breath froze in his chest, and his entire body felt like he had just been dropped into a pool of ice water. The only thought going through his mind was. No. No. _No!_ He will not allow this to happen. “If you touch them-”

“What? You’ll kill us? You have never been able to kill so easily in the past, what makes you think that you’ll be able to do it now?” Druce’s arrogance was showing now, and all Rip wanted to do was hit him to wipe that smug smirk off his face. All of this, from Druce tricking him into coming here, and having a gun pointed at him by a bounty hunter to having his team – his friends – threatened, all of it was pissing him off. And then the older man just had to say the one thing that pushed him over the edge. “They were destined to die anyway. It’s not as if they are important,”

“They’re important to me!” He roars, losing all of the control he has so carefully built up. This kind of rage was something he hasn’t felt for a very long time. Magic filled the air, cracking with intense golden energy, ready to lash out at a single change in emotion from Rip. His skin rippled as his Animalis emerged for the first time in years, changing his entire demeanor from a skinny, weak man to a ferocious monster. He didn’t notice any this of course, to far gone in his rage. It was so easy for these people to sacrifice innocent people because they were ‘unimportant’ in their eyes. Not to him, not to his friends. To him his team was important, he realized that now. He cared for this group of people who had taken over his ship. They mattered to him and he was not going to allow these people to take the last few things he had left away from him. 

Druce and Chronos were forced to take several steps back to avoid the backlash of power. They had expected anger, had prepared for it, but this was something else. Druce has only seen Rips full Animalis form a few times and every time he was awed at what he saw. He has lived a very long time, and nothing could compared to this. But he didn’t have time to awe at it now. He knew that if he didn’t get out at this moment, Rip really would kill them. He could see it in Rips eyes. The soft, human Rip was gone replaced with a killing machine. He wasn’t going to risk his life when there are other ways to get him back. Because that was all he was here for. The order came from the highest authority to bring Rip Hunter back to the Vanishing Point. The reason was beyond him, but Druce would obey. But for now, it was their turn to retreat. Druce nodded at Chronos who stepped out of sight, and he began to back away. The animalistic eyes followed him but Rip did nothing other then snarl at him. It was actually quite an impressive sound, coming from such a small guy. He raised his hands in a non-threatening manner. 

“Rip, it’s alright. You’re fine, you’re safe.” He kept repeating the words, over and over as the man watched his every move. The magic had died down a bit but the pressure had not lifted. Rip stalked around him, like a predator hunting his prey. The growls, and rumbles increased in number and Druce really thought that he was being hunted by an animal. It seemed like there was no more humanity left in Rip, no more kindness. He realized that it was no use talking to him, he didn’t understand. He didn’t care. But it didn’t matter. All he had to do was buy time.

It seemed like Rip had lost his patience when he crouched down, his claws digging into the dirt. With a vicious snarl on his lips, Rip jumped at him only to be hit with an energy blast that Druce recognized from a time ship, and was knocked away into the trees. He took this moment to dash across the empty space and jump through the open door. He braced himself as Chronos steered the ship away. This did not go the way he had expected and it just confirmed that this was going to be harder then he had been expecting. He was going to need a new plan.

Running back to the clearing and seeing the ship already in the sky, Rip howled in anger, shaking the environment around him. Having his prey escape him was unacceptable to him and he howled again in anger. He lashed out in anger at anything close by. Trees, rocks and the very earth shattered under his anger. He didn’t care that he was currently destroying the forest. He just wanted that weak man back here so he could kill him. No one threatened his family and got away with it. But the man wasn’t coming back, so he would just have to wait until he saw him again. Then he would make him hurt. Just as sudden as the anger had appeared, it disappeared leaving him feeling empty. 

And tired. He felt _so_ tired. He just wanted to sleep. So he did just that. He curled up under the wreckage of an uprooted tree, and let the darkness consume him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so a few of you were curious as to what animal Rip was, and you now have a peek at what he is. To be honest, I was at odds with what I have put him as, which you will find out next chapter, so I kept doubting myself. But I had already written a few chapters with that detail and didn't feel like going back to change it. So hopefully, it will be more then what you expect.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip returns to the ship, locks himself in his room and tries not to fall apart. Good thing that there is someone there to help him through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter done. I hope that it pleases everyone. The comments that I have gotten have made my day just reading them. So thank you to all who have commented, left kudos and bookmarked. It means a lot to me and gives me motivation to write more.
> 
> Some more information for you in this chapter. Gideon is quite sentient in this story, which I think is almost canon anyway. And you find out what Rip is. I won't spoil it but I will explain my reasoning in the end notes.

Rip woke up cold, wet and confused. He went from a deep sleep to wide awake in moment and he bolted upright. He winced at the pain radiating across his body. He groaned, curling in on himself as he felt his stomach become uneasy. It was as if he had spent the entire night drinking. He couldn’t remember what he had done to end up here, his mind so groggy. He took a breath to calm himself before struggling to his feet. Something was off, he could feel it in his bones. His suspicions were confirmed when he took a look around. The place was in ruins as if some rampaging giant had stormed through this part of the forest. A dark feeling was growing in the pit of his stomach as he took in the damage around him. The magic scorch marks, the deep groves in the earth reminiscence of claws, all of this destruction was uncomfortably familiar. He looked down at his hands, his not quite human hands, and couldn’t stop himself from leaning over and emptying his stomach onto the ground.

He had done this. He had lost control and destroyed a good chunk of this forest. God, he hoped that nobody was hurt, or worse, killed. It would end up just like last time. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and straightened up. He needed to get out of here, he needed to get back to his ship. 

He took off at a fast run, dodging through the wreckage until he cleared the mess. He didn’t stop until he was inside the loading bay of his ship. He took a moment to find out the positions of the people on board, then continued on to his room. He needed to stop this, to get rid of it. He couldn’t have the others see him like this. Couldn’t let them see the monster that he was. Rip winced when his mind took a hold of that word, _monster, monster, monster,_ and seemed like that was the only thing he could focus on. 

He burst into his room, locking the door behind him. 

_Monster_.

He fell against the closed door and slid to the ground. He curled himself in a ball, wrapping his arms around his legs. His breath was now coming in gasps. His chest feeling like something was wrapped around it constricting his breathing. 

_Monster_.

The room was spinning as if he was on some amusement park ride.

_Monster._

His body was shaking uncontrollably. He pressed his shaking hands over his eyes.

_Monster_.

Why? Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn’t he be normal, just like everyone else? He wondered what he had done in a past life that had made this life nearly unbearable. He hated this, what he was and what he had done. He hated everything about this cursed part of him. He couldn’t stop the sobs that grew in his chest, clamping a hand over his mouth to prevent any sound from coming out. The last thing he needed was for someone to hear him and come to see him in such a loathsome state. He knew that they would look at him with the same disgusted and fearful looks that he has been on the receiving end in the past. But he just couldn’t seem the stop. His eyes burned with tears and his chest burned from forcing himself to be silent. 

He soon became aware of a voice speaking to him. “You are safe, Captain. Everything is going to be okay.” Over and over, Gideon repeated this phrase. She has known him long enough to know exactly what to say when this happened. “Breathe. Focus on me, Captain. You are safe. Everything is going to be okay.”

Rip didn’t know how long he remained like this, curled up against his door with his head tucked in his arms, before he seemed to gain control over himself again. He sniffed, wiping the tears from his face. He couldn’t cry anymore, could not remain sitting here, so with his last remaining strength he pushed himself to his feet. 

“How long have I been gone Gideon?” His voice was rough, yet quiet. He made his way to the bathroom to clean himself up. After all, he still had a mission to complete.

“You left the ship four hours, and twenty three minutes ago.”

He winced at the massive amount of time he had been away from the ship. He didn’t expect to be gone for that long. He prayed that his team was safe, and that the mission had gone well. He entered the bathroom, purposely ignoring the floor to ceiling mirror on the opposite wall. He didn’t want to look at the monster in the mirror. He started pulling off his clothes, making sure to avoid looking directly at himself. 

“And the team?” He moved to the sink where he pried off a hidden panel in the wall, pulling out a small silver case. Inside was a vial of dark blue liquid and a syringe. He hated using this stuff as it made him feel sick for the next few days, but it was the only thing that could help him suppress his Animalis when he was in this state. 

“The rest of the team returned one hour and forty four minutes ago from rescuing the rest of the team,”

Rip frowned, pausing in his work. “Rescuing? What happened Gideon?”

“It appears that Mr. Palmer, Mr. Rory and Professor Stein had been apprehended by the security in the research facility and ended up in prison. The rest of the team planned a prison break that went rather well, according to Mr. Snart.” Gideon paused in her tale, and Rip could swear he heard a little bit of pride in her voice. “A few injuries were acquired and are now being treated in the medical bay,” 

He gripped the edge of the sink tightly, hating the fact that he couldn’t be here during this time to help his team. This was just another moment in his life that he had failed to protect the people he cared about. He felt the edge of his panic coming back and he forcefully pushed it back. He couldn’t afford to fall into another episode. He pulled out the syringe, and filling the appropriate amount of the suppressant that he needed. 

“Sir, if I may?” 

Rip paused with the needle hovering over his arm. “Yes Gideon?” 

There was a pause as if she was considering her words, which was very much unlike her. “I believe that the team will not mind if you don’t use that. I think that they will accept you no matter what you are.”

Rip was not expecting this, especially not from an AI. Gideon has never said anything before when he had to use it. Though, he also didn’t have a team when he did. Maybe having more people on board this ship was making Gideon ‘feel’ more, if that was even possible. “Gideon...I can’t.”

“Why not?”

He huffed a bitter laugh, setting the syringe down on the counter. “Because if they found out what I have done, much less what I am, then they would do the exact same thing that everyone else in my life has done. They would hate me, then leave. Or try to kill me, which would probably be the best option for me,”

“They would do neither of those things, Captain,” Rip blinked at the sharpness in her voice. She seemed almost disappointed in him. “I believe that they will see you for what you truly are,”

“Yeah, a monster,”

“You are _not_ a monster, Rip Hunter!” He stumbled back at the volume and tone of her voice. She sounded right pissed at him. “I have been with you for thirteen years, and have kept my silence when you have been forcing yourself to be someone you are not, all because I wanted you to have the freedom of finding the truth on your own. I had wanted you to rid yourself of the hatred that you carry in your heart but I can see now, that it’s not going to happen. You will destroy yourself trying to keep this lie as real as possible. I hate to see you like this, hurting yourself because of what has happened to you in the past. You have never had anyone outside of Miranda and Jonas, who didn’t even know what you are, who actually gave a damn about you. You do now though. Your team cares for you, even if you are too blind and ignorant to see it. So forgive me Captain when I say this, but you need to set your head straight and realize that you have people you can depend on,”

The silence stretched on after Gideon’s speech. Rip was in shock of how much Gideon actually cared. She was just supposed to be an AI for the ship, but it seemed like she was so much more now. Not once in the past, has he ever been told anything that Gideon had just said. A strange feeling welled up in his chest and for a second he believed that he was falling into another panic attack. But this felt different. Panic felt cold, empty while this feeling he was experiencing was burning hotter, filling up his chest.

“This team will not care what you have done in the past, because they can see what you are now, in the present. They would see you as the strong, intelligent, kind, beautiful being that needs to be loved. And they can give you what you need if you let them.” Gideon’s voice had soften by the end of her words.

“But it’s hard,” He whispered, wrapping his arms around his stomach. He had no words to describe what he was feeling now. His feelings were so conflicted, so unsure and being unable to know how he felt was making him nervous. He hated not being in control of himself.

“I know. I’m not saying that you have to tell them now, but you need to at least trust them.” Gideon seemed all too happy to help him with this. Rip had a feeling that Gideon had been holding this in for a long time. He has known her for the longest time, long enough that she has become more then just an AI that kept an eye on the ship. She has become a friend to him, without him even noticing.

The hot feeling in his chest, which had settled slightly, flared up once again seemingly hotter this time. He laughed, light and a little airy. “Okay. I can’t promise that it will happen right away. But I will try,” 

When Gideon spoke again, she sounded incredibly happy. “Good. Now, can you do something for me?”

“Sure,”

“Go over towards the left,” Rip frowned at that request but did as she asked. He didn’t know what she was planning but he trusted her with his life. “Now turn around,”

Trusting her not to make him do anything silly, he turned. He froze when he came face to face with his reflection in the mirror he had forgotten about. It has been so long that he has seen his true form because he always took the effort to avoid looking at it. He had the urge to turn away, to look at anything but what was in front of him.

“You can not love other people without first loving yourself. You need to realize that you are not a monster. I want you to look, really look, at yourself and see what I see,”

Rip stared back at the unfamiliar form in the mirror. He wanted to see what Gideon saw.

His hair, normally a soft brown parted to the side, was now several shades lighter with an almost glittery appearance, sticking up in a messy ‘bed head’ look. Long, golden ears curved out from the top of his head, standing slightly longer then the norm of his species. His human ears had sharpened to a point. His eyes were deep molten gold and slitted like a cats, with splashes of his human green in them. He would have thought them beautiful if they had been on anyone else. His four canine teeth had elongated, becoming razor sharp. He ran his tongue over them feeling the points shivering at the image of just how deadly they could be. The same could be said about his nails, sharpened to a point, and extremely deadly. His eyes continued on, taking in the markings covering his entire body. They were a soft gold, almost translucent and could only be seen under light. They flowed in both soft curves and sharp corners, making the lines of his body stand out. He was actually quite surprised at his own physique. He had spent his entire life avoiding looking directly at himself, and now that he was really looking he could finally start to see what Gideon saw. He traced the lines along his stomach, following them down to the curve of his hips, amazed at how smooth it seemed. He had to force his hands away from the markings so that he could continue his examination. Though what he focused on the most was the attribute that made him stick out, made it easy for people to recognize his species. Nine golden tails almost seven feet long each, were waving slowly behind him. The name of his species is Kitsune, a mythological type. Not so rare these days but to be a _nine-tailed_ Kitsune was extremely rare. Kitsunes can have anywhere from one to nine tails. Those having only one tail have very low magic ability and have fewer abilities while people who have nine tails have extremely high magic ability and have abilities some have been said that are ‘god-like’. The average throughout time has been between three and five tails. Very few cases of people having six, seven, and eight tails every few centuries. There have only been a few dozen nine-tailed Kitsunes throughout the hundreds of thousands of years. Many rulers throughout time have had Kitsunes by their sides as either warriors, or as lovers, for they are known to be extremely beautiful.

Which was what he could see now. He could understand what Gideon was saying. He was surprisingly good looking but that doesn’t make it better. Being good looking won’t help the fact that he couldn’t control this power. Every time that he released this power, the devastation was wide spread and uncontrollable. 

The first time he had lost control was when he first presented at the very early age of five. Normally, peoples Animalis presented between the ages of eight to eleven years old but because his Animalis was so strong, he presented early. The reason that people don’t present earlier in life is mainly because both the body and mind can’t handle getting it sooner. So for Rip, presenting at five had put so much pressure on his mind he fell into a state very similar to Berserk. He went on a rampage that lasted three days, destroying a good portion of the town. The townspeople were unable to stop him, a five year old child. It wasn’t until he had calmed down and was cornered by the townsfolk that he learned that he had also killed eighteen people. This was the first time he heard the word _monster_. He was chased out of town by the people he had grown up with. He ended up living on the streets, stealing to keep himself fed but just barely. After the first few years, he had learned all of the tricks to survive, including how to hide his Animalis form, how to pickpocket without being caught, and how to break through most locks. Soon enough, lying and stealing became a normal part of his life.

He only lost control a few times in the first few years because he was so young, but he got better at it. He didn’t kill anyone else during his ‘rampages’ but he did injure a lot of people. This caused many people to despise him and in turn, Rip learned to despise himself. He started to hate what he was, wishing to be anyone else he could. The seed of self-hatred had been planted at such a young age and it only grew as he got older.

So when the Time Masters showed up, he was already a street tough (though a bit on the small side) kind of kid. More mature then most kids his age, the Time Masters had seen his skill and offered him a chance to do some good with his life. Of course he was hesitant. After all, who offers a poor, uneducated child a chance for a home, an education, and a job out of the goodness of their hearts? But he decided to accept, for he was tired of living on the streets and ready to risk the consequences of his choice. And it turned out to be both the best and worst decision of his life. 

They did keep their promise of giving him a home and sending him to school. He learned how to read, advanced mathematics and physics, as well as the technological science behind time travel. The one thing that he hated was the fact that the Time Masters were so strict on how they are to behave. His once chaotic personality had to be tempered down, which taught him the skill of hiding his emotions behind masks. This skill got him pretty far up in the chain, even made him captain of his very own time ship. He was soon sent on his own missions and he loved it. Travelling through time, seeing all different people and places. He didn’t know how it could get any better then this.

Then he met the one person who made it so much better.

Miranda was a fiery, strong willed woman who had immediately caught his eye. They didn’t get off on the best foot but he aimed to make it work between them despite the law against relationships. It didn’t take much until Rip realized just how much he loved this woman. 

But of course, his life could never be this simple. A few months after they had started their relationship, they were caught in the middle of the hall, making out like teenagers. At their hearing, he had planned to take all of the blame because Miranda was an amazing Time Master that didn’t deserve to have her career taken from her because he couldn’t control himself. Though before he could do anything, she stepped forward and took all the blame like he had planned to. Her reasoning? She had fallen in love with Rip and had chosen this love over the Time Masters. This was the first time that he has felt truly happy, like he was wanted by at least one person.

The next eight years were almost like a dream. He and Miranda got married and had a beautiful baby boy, which they named Jonas. Rip adored his son, spending all of his free time with him. Miranda often teased him of spending more time with the boy then with her, but she always watched them with a bright smile. But it was true. He loved both of them more then anything in the world. Which is probably why the world decided to take them from him.

Jonas was only six when Savage had killed both him and his mother and in turn, destroying Rip. Knowing he couldn’t be there to protect them tore him up on the inside, feeding the self-hatred. The anger burned in his mind and in his heart, pushing him onto the path of revenge.

Which is how he found himself in his current predicament. Standing naked in his bathroom, his most hated Animalis on full display, after confronting his mentor. What was his life coming to?

He sighed and looked over at the sink. The syringe was sitting exactly were he set it and for the first time since he had discovered it, he didn’t want to use it. It would be harder to suppress it on his own, but he could do it now that he was calmer. He hadn’t realized it, but all of the panic, fear and pain was gone, replaced with a soothing calmness. With a single thought, he hid his true form.

He gasped in pain when his Animalis form disappeared. He glanced down and saw a large laceration on his side, about seven inches long. If he had to guess, it was from the blast he took from Chronos’ ship. His Kitsune magic had blocked out most of it’s power but since it was a massive amount of power, it still had hurt him. He guessed he couldn’t see it before because his magic had been trying to heal him. He supposed it could be worse. It was long, but shallow. It would probably scar but he didn’t mind. It was just another reminder of who he was.

Now it was time to get ready so that he could see his team. Hopefully they wouldn’t be too upset with him. “Thank you, Gideon. I think that your lecture has helped me see a little bit better,” 

“Of course Captain. Someone had to put some sense into your head.”

“Yeah, yeah,” He muttered. Rip moved over to the shower and hopped in to quickly clean off the dirt and grime. He rushed it because he had just remembered that some of his team were still in the med bay and he had wanted to make sure that they were alright. He rushed through patching up his side, dressing, and making himself appear at least a little bit normal. Hopefully none of his team would notice. He rushed out of the room, making his way back to his team.

The moment he entered the med bay, his eyes went to Raymond. He was lying on one of the beds, a medical cuff around his wrist. Bruises and cuts were scattered across his body and Rip could tell that he had been tortured. He recognized the marks. A flare of anger welled up in him and he stepped forwards to demand answers.

What he got instead, was a punch from a very angry assassin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so Rip is a Kitsune. I shall try to explain why I chose this one.
> 
> The first animal that popped into my mind when I thought of Rip Hunter, was fox. They don't rely on strength, being on the small side, instead on their speed and agility. They are thought to be sly, mischievous and clever which I believe Rip to be. But I wanted Rip to be something powerful, something uncontrollable. So I set that idea to the side while I looked for other options. I didn't come up with much. I wanted something that was neither good, nor evil. It took some digging, but I ended up finding Kitsune. I almost smacked myself at how dumb I was at forgetting this. So I made him a Kitsune, which I hope some of you can see him as.
> 
> I'll also give you a little something for having to wait for the reveal. The 'nine tails' do connect to the OT9 idea that I have. I can't tell you any more without spoiling it. You're just going to have to tune in for more chapters.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team confronts Rip about where he was and what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so excited for tomorrows episode, and I'm having a strange urge to go back and watch season one for the fourth time. I am so in love with this show it's almost a problem. 
> 
> Anyway, here you go, have another chapter.

Rip yelped in pain, stumbling back against the wall. “What the hell was that for?”

“Where the hell were you?” Sara demanded, getting right up in his space and placing a finger on his chest. “You said you were checking out an anomaly, then disappear for _four and a half hours_ without any check ins. Raymond, Mick and Stein were kidnapped and tortured by Savage and his crazy scientist. Who went nuclear by the way. Which you would have known if you had been here. So start explaining,”

“I-I’m sorry-”

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it,” Rip glanced over to Kendra, who looked fairly angry with him. In fact, all of them, even the pair of crooks, looked upset with him. They were all sitting or standing around Raymonds bed. “Members of this team were in trouble, and where were you?”

“I told you. I went to investigate a time anomaly,” He hissed lightly at the radiating pain in his side, aggravated by being pushed around. He wondered how much of the story he could tell them that would make sense, without revealing himself in the process. He promised Gideon that he would try to allow himself to get closer to them, but that didn’t mean he was going to spill everything in the beginning. He needed to come to terms with the fact that Gideon might be right. That he could trust this team. But trust doesn’t just happen. It needed time to build.

“You were gone quite a while for a simple anomaly,” Leonard spoke up from his seat next to Raymond’s bed. His icy blue eyes were hard, which is how he could tell that Len was angry.

“I ran into a bit of trouble,” Rip paused, glancing down at the hand that was tangled in his shirt. Sara gave him a glare and released him. He straightened up, brushing the wrinkles out of his shirt. “The time anomaly was caused by the Time Masters. I -”

“Why would they cause the one thing that they try to prevent?” Martin asked, his rabbit ears twitching which Rip has come to recognize as both confusion and worry. 

Something must have shown on his face because now everyone was staring at him in either confusion or suspicion. He shifted on his feet, uncomfortable at all the attention he was now getting. 

Sara tapped her foot impatiently. “Well? Care to explain why the Time Masters would cause an anomaly here and now?”

“They had to know that Rip would notice,” Martin started, and Rip really wanted to tell him to shut up. They were ruining the explanation that he had planned out and now his mind was racing to fix this without giving anything away. He should have guessed that this team could run him in circles, taking apart his words.

“Maybe that’s what they wanted. To get his attention.” Mick rumbled from his place next to Leonard, studying Rip with a critical eye. 

“So that they could kill him?” Jax’s eyes were wide in surprise and horror, his cheetah ears standing straight up and his tail twitching wildly.

“Probably. After all, Rip did disobey them and stole the Waverider,” Carter shrugged, as if this all made sense to him. _Shut up_ , Rip prayed, wishing that they would just let him explain. It might not be the complete truth but it was better then having everyone keep guessing what happened.

“Maybe they just wanted to bring him and the ship back to wherever they come from?” Jax, as always, was trying to see the best of every situation.

“After he betrayed them?” Leonard raised an eyebrow at the worried cheetah. “I don’t think so, kid. The only reason they would bring him back, would be to punish him themselves.”

“Oh no!” Jax looked horrified at that prospect and that’s when Rip decided that this has gone on long enough. 

“That’s not what happened,” Rip tried to jump in, trying desperately to gain control of this conversation. The team didn’t appear to hear him. They continued discussing why the Time Masters could have been there. He slumped against the wall, giving up on stopping his team from gossiping. Getting worked up about this was not a good idea since he hadn’t taken the suppressant and it would be too easy to lose control again. He was willing to just let them go on until they tired of it. Though, it seemed like Sara didn’t have the same thought.

“Enough!” Sara demanded and the entire room went silent. Nothing silenced a room quite like Sara Lance. She pointed at the group behind her. “You guys will be quiet. No more speculations, no more guesses.” She turned back to Rip and he had a very uneasy feeling in his stomach. “And you will answer every question I ask truthfully or I will wake you up everyday at five to train with me. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Rip barely managed to keep himself from replying with a ‘yes ma’am’ at the sternness in her voice. She reminded him of the woman who had raised him, as well as the mentors in the academy. He had learned quickly to say ma’am or sir at the end of every sentence. Though what made him more afraid was the threat of training with her. Normally, he wouldn’t mind training with her for he might learn a few things, but he also knows how brutal she could be to him if she finds out that he lied to her. So he’ll just have to be careful when he does.

“Okay. Lets start with an easy one. Was the time anomaly purposely caused by the Time Masters?”

“Yes,”

“Was it to get your attention?”

“Yes,”

Sara’s eyes narrowed at that answer. “Did you know it was them before you left?”

He shrugged. “I took a guess,”

“And you still went anyway, knowing that they were after you?” Her voice had taken on a cold tone, but he couldn’t figure out why she was upset now. He was telling the truth. He hadn’t lied yet.

“I wanted to see if I could convince them to retreat long enough for us to end Savage.”

“Who confronted you?”

Rip paused here, unsure whether or not he should tell. He got a look from Sara and he sighed. It couldn’t hurt to tell them some detail. Putting a few truths in can help hide the lies. “An...old mentor of mine, Zaman Druce and Chronos.”

“So, let me get this straight. You went to an unknown location _alone_ to meet with a Time Master and bounty hunter, knowing full well that they wanted you captured or killed.”

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?” He didn’t mean to snap at her. The disapproving looks he was getting from not just Sara, but from the rest of the team, was putting him on edge. He could feel his Animalis skirting the edge of his consciousness. He wondered why they cared so much about this? Was it because he wasn’t there to help them when they needed him? Or was it because he had gone somewhere and had not told them anything about it? “Why do all of you keep looking at me like that?”

“Why didn’t you ask one of us to go with you?” Sara completely ignored his question, instead choosing to move past it. 

Rip snorted in harsh amusement. “Who could have come with me? Most of you were gone on the mission, and everyone else was focused on making sure that Kendra wouldn’t lose her cool again. Who was I to ask?”

“You could have waited until we completed the mission,” 

“They probably wouldn’t be there anymore.” He was getting more and more frustrated as this questioning went on. He crossed his arms over his chest so that the others couldn’t see the razor sharp claws that had emerged. Small parts of his Animalis were starting to show and he knew that if he didn’t calm down it would come out fully. But he didn’t understand. Why couldn’t they just believe him when he said that he was fine, and move on? There was more important things to deal with, like the fact that Raymond was lying unconscious a few feet from them. 

“Are you saying that they agreed to let you continue on?” Sara questioned, seemingly unaware of how he was feeling. She was like a dog with a bone. She wasn’t going to let this go until she got all the answers that she wanted. 

He sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. Expanding on the fact that he believed he was confronted to be taken back to the Vanishing Point, not just because he betrayed the Time Masters but because of what he was, was one thing he didn’t want to admit. “Not exactly,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rip threw up his hands in frustration. “It means that they weren’t here to kill me. They were here to take me in,”

“Why? So they can kill you later? Seems a bit impractical to me.” Mick spoke up. Mick was actually a lot smarter then Rip had first thought, since he seemed to making all the good points. Maybe it was his criminal background, but he seemed to know how the Time Masters would act. Sara studied him, looking for anything that would give him away. He kept his face blank, thinking of very uninteresting things. He mustn’t have given anything because she backed off with only a slightly suspicious look. 

“So how did you get away? If they wanted to capture you to take you back, they could have. You said that Chronos was there and the last time that we faced him, it took all of us just to get away. How did you manage to do it?” Carter spoke up, shuffling closer. It seemed like his team was more interested in tearing apart his answers, as if expecting lies. Truth be told, he does lie to them about a lot of stuff. Most of it is personal though so he should have a right to keep it a secret. They didn’t need to know everything about him. 

It seemed like Carters question had flared up even more suspicion. The once mollified team was instantly gazing at him with more suspicion. He wanted to scream to the turn of events. If he had known that this visit would have turned into an interrogation, he would have stayed in his room until everyone had left. He was so close to just breaking down and telling them the truth, and oh how bad that would go. _So very bad_ , his mind supplied. So he pushed down his feelings like has done in the past and focused on the mission. Making sure that he had a story good enough to fool his teammates.

“Well, I arrived at the location, and was confronted by Druce and Chronos. I talked and they threatened. There was lots of arguments, and when it got too dangerous, I used a time weapon to get away. I had suspected that it might get messy so I prepared. Came back here and found out from Gideon what had happened. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be here for you guys but it looks like you guys managed to pull it off just fine without me.” 

Sara studied him for a moment. “Okay. I believe you. Next time, tell us where you are going. Better yet, take one of us with you” Sara sighed, giving a tired nod. He didn’t know why he didn’t realize how tired everyone looked. She gave him a small smile, and moved over to Raymond’s side. Leonard immediately stood up and gave his chair to her. She gave him a grateful smile, and slumped into the seat. Everyone relaxed again, turning their attention back to the sleeping scientist. Rip was able to relax enough to repress the little parts of his Kitsune that had got out.

The room was silent for a moment before Leonard stalked over to where he was standing. He studied Rip quietly for a few minutes, probably knowing how uncomfortable it makes him. He tensed his body to prevent himself from shifting on his feet. Tensing his muscles probably hadn’t been the best idea concerning the wound on his side. He could feel the wound open again and start to bleed. He was glad that he had decided to put on a gauze patch earlier or it would have made his story fall apart. 

Eventually, Rip got tired of being examined like a piece of meat. “Can I help you with something, Mr. Snart?”

“I’m just wondering how much of what you are telling us is actually true,” He drawled. Rip tried to read him but he did not get much from the master thief. 

“I am telling the truth.”

Leonard huffed a breath which made Rip think that he was laughing at him. “Maybe a few parts of that is true. After all, the best kind of lie is where there is truth in it.”

“Why would I lie about something like this?” The events of the day was catching up on him, and he was beginning to feel it despite the nap he had earlier. He didn’t want to deal with Leonard and his questions right now. 

“Maybe you know something that you don’t want us to know,” The look in Leonards eyes made him want to step back, to turn away so that he wasn’t looking at the man. They were cold and calculating, as if trying to figure him out like he was a puzzle. Like he was trying to see into his soul.

“And what exactly would that be, Mr. Snart?” He flicked his eyes around the room and saw that no one was paying any attention to them. He turned his gaze back to Leonard.

“I don’t know. You’ve been sketchy since the moment I set eyes on you.”

Rip snorted humorlessly. “This coming from a thief and criminal,”

“I may be a thief but I don’t keep secrets from my team,”

“Oh I’m sure,” Rip’s flat voice seemed to press a button with Leonard.

“Let me just get one thing straight.” Leonard took a step forward, causing Rip to take a step back bumping into the wall behind him. He grunted softly in pain, sending a glare at the thief. “I know that you are hiding something serious from this team and I will not stop until I find out what it is.”

Rip took in a sharp breath when he realized just how serious this man was. He briefly wondered how much he would be able to find out on his own. Though one question still bothered him. “Why is it so important for you to know?”

It seemed like challenging Leonard Snart was not a good idea. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and for a second Rip thought that Leonard was going to hit him. “Because secrets are dangerous. If you are going to such lengths to hide this secret, then it must be something big.”

“Or maybe it’s just personal?” _Let it go_ , Rip pleaded in his mind. Why did he have the need to dig into everything he says?

This time, it was Leonard who snorted. “Please. You know everything about us so why not share a bit of personal stuff?”

Rip rolled his eyes. Of course. Leonard wasn’t just upset that he hasn’t been completely honest with this team, but because he thought that Rip knew everything about this team. Or rather, that he thought Rip knew everything about him, and he knew very little about Rip. It was starting to make a little bit more sense. “Despite what you might think, I don’t know everything about the people on this team. You want to know why?” 

“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyways,”

“It’s because I don’t need to know everything. Everyone has their right to a few secrets, even you and me,” Leonard looked apprehensive at his words. Of course he wouldn’t trust him with this. He didn’t trust him with anything. “Look, I know you don’t trust me and I know that you want to dig but can we put it on hold until later. It seems like everyone could use their rest,”

Leonard eyed him as if he was going to argue, but he nodded. “Fine but don’t think for a second that I’m going to forget about this,”

“Oh how I wish you would but I know that you won’t.” The thief seemed happy with that answer for he turned back to the group. It seemed like most of them were on the edge of sleep, so he decided to take over as captain for a bit. “Why don’t you guys go to bed. I’ll stay with him. This is the least I could do for not being there for him,”

He could tell that most of them didn’t want to leave Raymonds side but with a bit more ushering, he managed to get them out of the room, promising to get some sleep. Once he was sure that his team had made it back to their rooms, he moved over to a cabinet. He pulled out some more gauze and ointment to treat his wound. He made quick work of it, not wanting to draw it out any longer then he had to. Gideon offered him a pain killer, but he refused. He preferred the pain for it kept his mind sharp. 

When he finished, he slumped down in the chair next to Raymond. His head hurt from all the demanding questions. He was glad that it was finally silent. He had a lot to think about, a lot to consider. He hated to admit it, but Gideon was right. He needed to trust his team. Maybe not with everything right away. Baby steps, he supposed, would work for him. Hopefully, his team will go easy on him when they saw that he was starting to trust them. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy to make them trust him, but he needed to try. He wanted to try.

The first step was clear to him. He needed to apologize to Raymond for not being there when he needed him to be. To apologize for getting him into this mess in the first place. The forgiving fool would probably accept his apology without complaint, probably even saying that it wasn’t his fault, but Rip knew that it was. The guilt weighed heavy in his heart, knowing that he could have prevented all of this from the start. After all, Raymond wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t recruited them for this mission. He wouldn’t be lying on this medical bed, beaten unconscious if he had left them alone. They wouldn’t be chased through time by bounty hunters, or attacked by an immortal tyrant if he had let them live their lives unaware. His temper, and impulsiveness has made it impossible for this team to ever live a normal life again. Not that their lives had been very normal to begin with but that was beyond the point. He had brought them into his problems, and they were now paying the price.

He laughed bitterly. He has been told that his temper would always hurt the people closest to him, and he was now seeing the truth in that. Maybe he should have followed the advice that many people had given to him in the past. ‘Don’t get close to people because you will hurt them. All you do is hurt people.’ He could feel his eyes burning with the need to cry again, and he buried his face in his hands. All he could think of was _Why?_ He tried to be a good person, but sometimes it was hard to reign in his emotions. Should he really be punished for something he couldn’t control? To him, the answer was obvious. Of course he should be held responsible.

“It’s not your fault,”

Rip lifted his head and saw Raymond staring at him with tired eyes. “You should be resting,”

Raymond smiled, though it didn’t reach his normal brightness. It made his chest twist into something ugly at that. Raymond, the ever cheerful wolf, shouldn’t have to force a smile like that. He shouldn’t have ever known what torture felt like because that can change a person. He didn’t want this experience to change Raymond. He wanted to see him happy. Wanted to see him look at life with hope, not fear. 

“I am resting. Look, I’m lying down,”

Rip couldn’t help the small smile that came. Raymond, even in his worst time, can make someone smile or laugh. “I meant sleeping. You were hurt pretty badly.”

“I’ll be fine,” Even though he said this, Rip could tell that he was lying. He wasn’t going to be fine. His body will heal but his mind will be forever scarred. Rip sighed at his selfless personality. Of course he wouldn’t admit to being in pain, or being hurt. He wouldn’t want anyone to worry about him. But it didn’t stop him from worrying about the younger man.

“Just...humour me please. Get some rest,” He would hate to have Raymond hurt himself more because he wouldn’t sleep. “Or I’ll have Gideon sedate you,”

That got another smile from Raymond, a much brighter one then before. He gave a nod and settled back into the uncomfortable med bay bed. A few moments later, he opened his eyes again. Rip gave him a stern look, but Raymond just shook it off. He looked serious and Rip wondered what was going through his mind.

“I meant what I said, you know.” His voice was soft but it gave no room for negotiation.

“What’s that?”

“That this wasn’t your fault,” He was dead serious with this. Rip could see it in his eyes.

“How do you know what I was thinking?”

“It’s written all over you face,” Rip shook his head. No matter how much he tried to hide his emotions from his team, they always seemed to figure him out. “Plus, I can smell your guilt.”

Rip blinked. “You can smell guilt?”

“Wolves have strong noses. We can pick up on a lot of emotions.” He seemed to be amused with that and Rip had to wonder what exactly he could smell while around him on a normal day. Or anyone else on this team. It must be very awkward for him if he can smell people’s emotions. “So trust me when I say, I know. And it’s okay. I think that everyone feels a little bit of guilt about what happened, you’re not the only one. But you must know that it is no ones fault.”

“I just can’t help but think that it is. As Captain, it is my duty to protect my crew. I couldn’t even do that,” Rip slumped further into his chair. He knew that he was probably sounding so pathetic but his thoughts just kept racing, accusing him of being a terrible captain. He just felt like letting go and sinking into those thoughts, but looking at Ray, seeing how hurt he was made him angry. Not at Ray. He could never be made at Ray, but at himself. He needed to make sure that this would never happen again to anyone on this team ever again. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop people from getting hurt, but he would do his best to make sure that he will always be there for them. He leaned over, looking Ray straight in his eyes. “But I swear, on the life of my family, this will not happen again,”

Raymond’s eyes widened at that, surprised at how serious he was. He didn’t think that this had affected Rip so much, but he could tell that he meant it. Ray could smell not just his guilt, but his sadness which almost over powered the guilt. His eyes softened at the realization that Rip was hurting over the fact that he couldn’t be there. He reached out and pressed his fingers against Rip’s cheek. He knew that there was only one thing he could say to make Rip feel better, as he was content blaming himself. Well, Ray wasn’t. “I forgive you, Rip Hunter.” The reaction was instant. Rip’s sucked in a sharp breath and sat back. He watched Ray for any sign of deception, and when he didn’t find any, he let out his breath. Ray could see the moisture in Rips eyes. The scientist had a strange feeling that Rip has never been told those words before. He guessed that he would just have to tell him more often. With that in his mind, Ray drifted off into a restless sleep.

Rip watched in shock as Raymond finally fell back asleep. He didn’t know why he had reacted like that to a simple phrase. Maybe because no one has ever said it with the same conviction that Raymond did. His chest burned with a familiar feeling, and Rip was just starting to recognize as happiness, something that he hasn’t felt since Miranda and Jonas. He watched Raymond for a few more moments before relaxing into the chair. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night. A single thought raced through his mind as he watched Raymond.

How was his team doing this to him?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip has a chat with one of his team members, who helps him see things a bit clearer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually didn't plan for this chapter to happen this way. I was just going to jump right into the next part but when I sat down to write it, it just came out this way. I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Another thing, this story will be quite long. I have at least another ten chapters planned (but not written yet) out so you have a lot to look forward to. The rating will go up soon and some themes in later chapters might ick people out so I will try to put warnings up when I post those chapters.

Rip woke violently when someone shook his shoulder. He jerked up in the chair, gripping the wrist of whoever had shaken him. He blinked sleepily, looking around the room. Raymond was sitting up in his bed, eating some oatmeal. He looked a lot better, which he was happy for. Sara was sitting on the end of the bed eyeing Raymond to make sure that he ate. Jax was by his side, his wrist still trapped in Rip hand. He let him go with an apology. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He blinked sleepily, gazing at nothing as he tried to gather his thoughts. He was still out of it, his mind still dreaming. He needed some coffee.

“I’ll go get you some,” Jax grinned and moved away. Had he said that out loud? He didn’t think that he had. He might have. He does that sometimes. Oh, was he ever out of it. 

He moved to sit up and hissed at the pain in his stiff muscles. This always happened when he didn’t sleep in his own bed. He raised his arms above his head in a stretch, groaning as his muscles burned. He always enjoyed stretches after he woke up, the burn in his muscles the right kind of hurt. Though there was a flash of pain that he couldn’t blame on his tense muscles. He pressed a hand against his side, wincing at the stinging pain. 

“You alright?” Sara asked, causing Rip to look up. She was staring at him in concern.

“Yeah, just a little sore from sleeping in a chair,” He leaned forward to rub at his face. The time after losing control was always exhausting, sometimes lasting for days. He just hoped that it wouldn’t affect the missions too badly. He ran his fingers through his messy hair, hoping to tidy it up.

“Probably isn’t the first time you have slept in a chair, right?” She gave him a knowing grin.

He huffed a laugh. “Hardly. I seem to have the habit of forgetting that I need sleep. So I end up burning myself out and crashing wherever I happen to be.”

“And you scold us on not getting enough sleep,” Raymond shook his head, a fond smile on his lips. “You shouldn’t care for us then go and neglect yourself. It doesn’t make any sense to me,”

“It’s not like I do it on purpose. I always seem to forget that I need the basic life essentials as well. I guess that caring for other people is a lot easier than caring for myself.” Rip pushed himself to his feet, do a full body stretch. He shook the stiffness out of his limbs. He moved over to the wall where Raymond’s medical information was displayed. “How are you feeling today, Mr. Palmer?”

“Better. And you can call me Ray, not Mr. Palmer. It makes me feel old.” Raymond shifted on his bed, but he didn’t seem to be in any pain. Gideon probably gave him a mild pain killer. Most of the bruises were gone but there were still some cuts. The screen showed a few fractured ribs still, so Rip placed that at the top of the list to be heal first. The med bay on the Waverider had the most advanced medical equipment but some things couldn’t be rushed too much. Some just needed to heal naturally. 

“Okay then. Ray, are you experiencing any pain or discomfort?” Rip looked over to Ray, who shrugged. 

“A bit, but I don’t need anything for it. I’m alright. All I need is some rest, and maybe some more oatmeal.” He dug back into his oatmeal with a happy hum after giving Rip a bright smile. 

“I’m sure we can make that happen.” Rip gave Ray a pat on the shoulder, and Sara a smile. She looked amused. 

The door opened and Jax stepped in carrying a tray. Rip raised an eyebrow. Hadn’t he only gone for coffee? Now it looked like he was carrying a full course breakfast, several cups of coffee, and a tablet. He set the tray on the table beside the bed and handed both of them a cup of coffee. 

When he saw their looks, he shrugged sheepishly. “Mick made breakfast. He told me to bring you some. I also brought you your tablet so that you won’t get bored.”

“Awesome,” Ray grinned, abandoning his oatmeal to grab a plate of pancakes. Rip wrinkled his nose at the amount of syrup that he dumped onto his pancakes. Sure, Rip likes sweet things, but drowning your pancakes in that much sugary syrup seemed like a little too much. He gave Jax his seat, planning on going back to his room to freshen up a little bit and doing a check on the systems. He knew that the team would want to take the next few days off and he didn’t blame them. It has been a rough few days. He needed to make sure that everything was running smoothly before coming back. 

A hand on his arm stopped him before he could get too far.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Jax asked, his face scrunched up in confusion. “I brought some for you too,”

Rip shrugged. He was a bit hungry but he the other things were a bit more important right now. “I’m not hungry. I’m going to go get cleaned up and check up on the systems. I’ll be back later, promise.”

“Take some with you, then,” Jax handed him a piece of toast and a cup of coffee. He took it gratefully. Normally he would have declined but Jax looked like he would argue if he didn’t and he really did not want to argue with anyone now. 

He left them alone, walking the halls while munching on the piece of toast and checking the systems that he passed on the way to the bridge. A long, hot thorough shower, new bandages and new clothes is what he needed right now. His body was feeling a lot more sluggish then normal and all he wanted to do was lie down and sleep. But he knew he couldn’t. He needed to pilot this ship back into the time stream and away from any danger. They were still parked in the 1980’s because of Raymond’s injuries and he knew that they had overstayed their welcome. 

“Gideon, tell the others to prepare for a time jump into the time stream.” He slid into his seat, buckling himself in. He did a brief check of the time drive and fired up the ship. The ship shook briefly as it took off into the sky, disappearing in a flash of light. He breathed a sigh of relief at the ease of sliding back into the time stream. At least one thing went well. He rested in his chair a moment before deciding he needed to move before he stayed. He already spent the night in an uncomfortable chair, he didn’t want to sit in another one. 

“It seems like Mr. Rory is upset at the sudden time jump. I would advise you to avoid him,” Gideon spoke up, amusement clear in her voice. Rip shook his head at her idea of funny. “It seemed to have ruined his breakfast.”

Rip chuckled at that. Only Mick could get that upset over food. He never would have guessed that the pyro had this kind of talent. He wondered what other things that his team were good at. He winced as his thoughts immediately went to avoidance. His mind was telling him not to get involved, to avoid allowing them too close but his heart was telling him the complete opposite. Gideon had told him that this team cared for him, that he should trust them. He trusted her judgment but he had to wonder just how much he could give up to them without breaking. 

He followed Gideons advice and avoided the kitchen. He took a short cut back to his room, glad that he didn’t run into anyone. He really needed a shower, and to brush his teeth. He took his time in this shower, instead of rushing it like the last time. Mainly, he just wanted to be able to relax under the almost scalding water. He moaned softly as stiff muscles relaxed under the spray. He always did love a long hot shower. In the past, he has been known to stay long enough in the water that he would wrinkle. Miranda always laughed at him after he came out, calling him a fish because of his love for water. 

Rip expected pain from the thought of his wife, but he only felt loneliness. The memories of his family always pained him. His mind would run through the many scenarios of what could have happened would give him a heavy heart, making it impossible for him to work. It would happen so often, hurt more each time, that he needed to find ways to get rid of it. Normally, he would drown his sorrows in whiskey but recently has been trying to stay away from that stuff. He had a mission to do and couldn’t afford getting drunk. Though there are times where he missed it. The pain in his heart had never truly gone away, he knew that it never would. After all, Miranda and Jonas had been the most important people in his life. He would never forget and he would never feel the same about anyone else. 

He remained in the shower for quite a while, enjoying the peace and quiet. Though before long, the hot water began to run cold and he had to get out. He dressed himself in a simple set of black pants and long sleeved shirt. He was halfway through brushing his teeth when there was a knock on his door. He paused in his work, turning towards the noise. He wondered briefly if he ignored it, would whoever it was go away? He doubted it. 

He trudged over to the door, toothbrush still hanging from his mouth. He opened the door with a mildly unimpressed look. At least Kendra had the decency to look ashamed. 

“Sorry for showing up here unannounced. I just needed to talk to you. Gideon told me I could find you here.” Her voice was soft, and a bit uncertain. Rip couldn’t ignore her when she needed him so he stepped aside and allowed her in. She stepped inside, wringing her hands. He could tell she was nervous and he wondered why she didn’t go to Carter if she needed to talk. Unless it was Carter she needed to talk about. He didn’t know what kind of advice he could give if it did involve Carter. He pulled the chair from his desk over so she could sit. “Thanks. I just need some advice.”

“It’s quite all right, Ms. Saunders,” Rip sat across from her. He remained silent so she could gather her thoughts. It must be something of great importance to her if she was struggling with her words. 

“I would like to, no I _need_ to know why you brought us on this mission,” Kendra rushed out. Rip barely managed to catch her words. “I mean, Savage is after us, has killed us many times which would put this team in danger. I may be the only one that can kill him, but I am not that good of a fighter. I can barely stand up to Carter, who can’t beat Savage, so what gives you the idea that I can? Not to mention my problem with Berserk. I might have better control but there is more a chance to lose it. I am constantly putting this team in danger and I need to know why you chose me of all people to bring onto this ship. Is it because of my connection with Savage or something else?”

Rip sat back at this, letting her say what she needed to. It seems like she has been holding this in and needed someone to talk to. He was all too willing to help her, which surprised him. With his feelings of avoiding sharing feelings with others, he seemed all too ready to share his with this team. To a certain extent anyway. He knew that Kendra needed him to be honest right now. “There are many reasons why I had chosen you for this team. You are brave, courageous, brilliant and so much more. Yes, I did consider your connection with Savage when I first chose you and Carter but I have since learned that you have more to offer this team.”

“Really?” Kendra’s voice was soft but her eyes shone with hopefulness. It hurt his heart to know that Kendra had doubted her place here, had doubted her own power. She had no reason to doubt. She was exactly where she belonged. His idea of keeping his distance had already been destroyed by the time this team took their first step on the Waverider, he just hadn’t realized it.

“Yeah, really. You are probably one of the best on this team. After all, I did recruit a thief, pyro and an assassin. I saw you as an amazing warrior and valuable part of this team.” 

“Maybe you just have really bad judgment?” Rip glanced up at her, eyes narrowed but he could see her lips twitching. 

“Maybe. But I don’t regret bringing you onto this ship. The only thing I regret was bringing you onto this ship under false pretenses. I lied to all of you to get you onto this ship. I doubt many of you would be here if I had told the truth.”

Kendra studied him for a moment, her amusement fading to something more gentle. “You know, I think that you misjudge them. I think they would have come anyway.”

Rip hummed, neither in agreement or disagreement. He couldn’t say for sure whether or not they would have come. After all, who would follow a stranger through time if he told them that he was on a path of revenge to kill an immortal tyrant, and he has no idea how to kill him all the while running from his time travelling ex-employers? Not many would. He definitely wouldn’t. 

“Okay, enough depressing talk.” Kendra waved her hands, as if shooing away some invisible force. “Thank you for listening to me and settling my doubt. Carter often says I get these ridiculous notions in my head, but sometimes I just can’t shut my own thoughts off. You are the only one that I think I can talk to about this kind of stuff. I guess that talking to Carter, or anyone else would be kind of awkward.”

“And it wasn’t with me? We don’t really know to much about each other,” And again, he was reminded how far he was from his team. Though, he supposed it was a good sign that Kendra had trusted him enough to come to him when she was feeling insecure.

“Then this is the perfect way to do so. After all, how many of us have actually seen your room?” She said this as she looked around. 

Rip didn’t know what she saw in the almost bare room. There was a bed, dresser and a bookshelf. He didn’t really like to have much personal stuff on display so the most that his room had was the bookshelf, stuffed with his favourite books. “Not many. There isn’t much to see here though,”

She shrugged as if it was no big deal. “No, but it’s yours. It can show people who you are as a person,”

Rip laughed bitterly. “What? An empty bare person who no sign of personality,”

“Someone who doesn’t hold onto personal stuff because he is more concerned with taking care and learning about other people,”

Rip frowned at that. “Where did you get that idea?”

Kendra climbed to her feet, and walked around the room. She eyed him with a soft smile, making him feel slightly uncomfortable with all the emotions that Kendra was sharing with him. The room was filled with her happiness, and it wasn’t like he could tell her to turn it off. She had no idea what she was doing to him. “You may have nothing in your room, but this ship is also yours and reflects that. The med bay is top notch with the best equipment and medicine. Same with the kitchen and rec room, filled withe best equipment that anyone could ask for. Your office is filled with artifacts and stuff from your past that makes even the most stoic of us curious. Despite what you think, you are the most interesting person on this ship.”

Rip watched her move around his room in an almost trance like state. He couldn’t exactly say that she was wrong. He did make sure that everything on this ship was working at its best, but that’s just because he wanted to have a working ship. It had nothing to do with who he was. With the stuff in his office, given to him as gifts by people he has met in the past. Or stuff he has stolen, or rescued or ‘found’. Okay, so maybe she had a point. “Alright, but I am not that interesting. You and Carter, who have lived for thousands of years, are more interesting than I am,”

She laughed lightly. She moved over the bookshelf, scanning the titles. “We may have lived longer then you but you probably have had more adventures then we have,”

“Maybe, but not all of them have been good,” Rip knew all about the bad parts of life. He may not have lived as long as her, but he has known the pain that many could not imagine. 

“Neither have our lives.” Kendra saw the look on his face and she sighed. “Not all adventures are fun and exciting. Some are hard, harsh and cruel but need to be experienced. We need to experience the harsh part of life to recognize the good parts. Would you be here if you hadn’t gone through all the horrible things in your life?”

Rip couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. She had come to him for advice, but it seemed liked she was the one giving him the advice. She made a lot of sense. He definitely would not be the same person if he had not gone through the hell that he has. “No, probably not. I just don’t want to forget the hell. If I do, I am prone to repeating the past,”

“You don’t need to forget your past, Rip. That’s not what I’m trying to say.” Kendra moved back to his side and sat down next to him. She bumped her shoulder against his. “I’m just saying that you shouldn’t focus on it too much or you’ll drown in it. Making your pain the center of your world is not the way you should live.”

His conversation with Gideon yesterday echoed through his mind. It seemed like the two of them had similar thoughts and were conspiring against him. He almost smiled at that. Gideon teaming up with Kendra, he would never be able to feel bad for himself again. He wants to do as they advise him to but he just doesn’t know how without loosing his mind. 

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I barged into your room unannounced and demanded answers from you,” Kendra looked like she was on the verge of laughing at him. “Of course you can ask me a question.”

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“You’re always so...kind to everyone. So happy. I don’t know all the details of what happened to you, but I do know that it could not have been easy for you. Savage has killed you and Carter 206 times, probably in the most horrible ways. And yet, you look at the world, at people, as if everything is all good and well.”

Kendra was silent for a while, her face as composed as he has ever seen her. She seemed to be contemplating her answer very carefully and Rip was willing to wait. He could feel her pain, her sadness, but also he happiness and her love. Kendra was pretty bad at suppressing her emotions because that was all he was getting now. He had never understood how people like Kendra, like Ray and Jax can go through the most horrible things in their life and yet still look at the world in such a bright light. He never could. Never thought that he would until Gideon had planted the thoughts into his head. Maybe because he has never really had any good points in his life before he joined the Time Masters, before Miranda. Miranda, the only light in his life, was the only one he felt safe with. He was trapped in the darkness of his past with no way out. Gideon may have been onto something when she told him that he would destroy himself to convince himself that darkness was all he had, all he was.

Kendra hummed. “I guess it’s not seeing your past as something that can change. It can’t, even as time travelers. We are all stuck with our history, and while not all of it has been good, there are always those moments that are. You have to think to yourself that you are living, not because of those dark moments, but _for_ the good ones. You have to believe that it will get better, that you will have better moments. Having hope for a better future is what can help you move past the bad moments,”

“But how do you live on when all you have is the dark memories?” It seemed like Kendra’s emotions were infecting his own as he seemed to be more then willing to share a little about himself. 

Kendra gave him a gentle smile, but he could see the sadness in her eyes. “Then make new memories. Better memories. Brighter memories that will outshine the darker ones,”

“You wouldn’t happen to know anyone that can help with that, do you?” He grinned at her. He was tired of this dark mood in his room. He was tired of feeling bad for himself but breaking free of a habit that he has had his entire life wasn’t easy. 

Kendra laughed lightly, smacking him him in the head with her wing. “You are surrounded by people who would love to spend time with you. Take Jax for example. He’s been following you around whenever you do repairs on the ship,”

Rip frowned, trying to remember if he ever saw Jax following him during those times. He couldn’t ever remember seeing him. He gave her a half shrug, not knowing what to say. 

“Plus, Martin is _so_ curious about the mechanics of the time drive that he tries to convince Gideon to let him into the room so he can take a look. Ray won’t stop digging through the stuff in you office because he thinks the stuff in there is ‘cool’.”

“It is cool,” He mumbled. His office was packed full of items that had so much history. Of course it was cool.

“And don’t even get me started on Mick and Len. They are convinced that all of your secrets are hidden away in a secret room and they are determined to find it,” 

Rip snorted in dry amusement. “They won’t find it,”

Kendra blinked, staring at him in suspicion. “They won’t- you have a secret room full of secrets? Where?”

“It wouldn’t be much of a secret if I told you, now would it?” His lips twisted into a playful smirk. His sense of humour had disappeared after his family was murdered, but it seems like he was gaining some of his past personality back by just being around this team.

She saw the smirk on his face and rolled her eyes. She climbed to her feet, giving him a soft look. “Okay, enough with the secrets. What I’m trying to say is that you have people you can make better memories with. You just have to let go of the bad ones, and trust us with the new ones.”

“I will.” He stood up and gave her a smile. She raised an eyebrow at him before moving over to give him a brief hug. He tensed at the sudden hug but felt himself relax in her grip. “And thanks for the advice.”

“And thank you for settling my nerves. You know where to find me if you need anything. And I mean anything, Rip.” With one last smile, Kendra left. 

Rip leaned back against the wall. He hadn’t planned on that much feeling when he had let her in. Normally, if someone tried to get close to him he would unconsciously shut down and keep his distance. It didn’t happen this time. Instead of shutting down, he opened up. It didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would. He figured that it was because it was Kendra. Kind and gentle Kendra. Either way, he was glad that he could connect with her. 

Rip shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had promised Ray he would be back. He just had to make a stop to his office to pick a few things. He tried to ignore the burning feeling in his chest, but he couldn’t stop how light he felt. Maybe this whole ‘feelings’ thing wouldn’t be so bad.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip spends some time with Ray before they are interrupted by an unwanted visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a question for everyone. Over the weekend, I got quite an abrasive comment stating that my use of "Spirit Animals" was inappropriate, even in the Latin form, because it comes from the Native American culture. I was accused of misusing their culture and being "incredibly racist" for using it. I did some research into it and discovered what spirit animals are in their culture. The only thing my stuff has in common with the Native American spirit animals is the name. Nothing else is the same.
> 
> But I am not an expert in this matter so if any of you think the same or have any more information, let me know. If anyone thinks that I should not use this name, I will go back and change it no matter how much work it would take.

Playing cards with Raymond Palmer is almost as amusing as it is frustrating. He had the worst poker face and always lost to Rip. They played with pretzels and little candies he found in his office. By the end of the game, Rip had all of Rays playing ‘chips’. He didn’t even seem angry that he lost, shrugging it off as bad luck. So he decided to be a bit fair and switch to a game that was more Ray’s speed.

“Do you have a red three?”

Rip studied his cards with a frown. He scowled and handed over the card. Ray grinned and added it, and his own matching card to his ever growing pile. How could someone who lost so easy in poker, kick his ass in Go – Fish?

“Do you have a black seven?” Rip asked, praying with all his might that he might just get some this round.

Raymond remained silent for the longest time, staring at his cards with an overly exaggerated look of concentration. Rip was ready to snap at him to just _hurry the hell up_ , before Ray send him a grin. “Go Fish,”

“God damn it,” Rip muttered, taking another card into his hand. He was going to lose this. He was going to lose a child’s card game to a literal child. He had to ask himself again. How the hell did this happen? “You’re cheating,”

“I am not. You just suck,” Ray wouldn’t stop smiling. On one hand, he was loosing terribly to him and he would never live it down if the others found out. On the other hand, Ray was laughing and smiling. It was good to see him smiling after what had happened and if it meant he had to lose a silly child’s game to do so, then he would. It had been a few hours since his talk with Kendra and Ray was doing a lot better. All of his bruising was gone, as well as his cuts. His ribs were healed for the most part and Rip was sure he would be allowed out of the med bay within the next hour. Which would be a relief for Rip. If he had to spend any more time loosing to Ray, he would scream.

“Who sucks?” Jax stuck his head in the door, startling Rip enough that he jumped. Jax grinned at him, stepping fully into the room. He was carrying a plate of cookies. Why was Jax always carrying food? Where did he get it?

“Rip. He keeps loosing at Go – Fish,” Ray reached out for a cookie, grabbing two in the process and began munching happily on one. 

“Well, you kept loosing at poker so I decided on a new game. Which I am seriously regretting now,” Rip shook his head when Jax offered him one. He wasn’t all too hungry. This didn’t worry him too much, even though all he had today was the piece of toast, but he just wasn’t hungry. It could have something to do with the fact that he had lost control of his magic. He always felt sick afterwards, and using the suppressant would kill any appetite he had. He didn’t feel sick right now but he guessed it was habit not to eat for a few days afterwards. Though it seemed like he wasn’t going to be able to do that.

“Nuh-uh,” Jax said, pushing the plate towards him again. “Sara said that if you don’t eat at least one, she will come down here and make you eat,”

Rip eyed the younger man, sighing when he saw how serious he was. He reached forward and took one. He took a small bite, his eyes widening at the burst of flavour. He stuffed the rest of the cookie in his mouth, moaning in delight at the rich flavour. He reached for another one. “Did she make these?”

Jax laughed at his enthusiasm. “No. Mick did with Lens help. He’s actually very good at this kind of stuff. Who could’ve known?”

Rip snorted at that. Yes, who could have known that a pyro would be good at _not_ burning everything. But it was a pleasant surprise. Maybe he should put Mick in charge of the cooking from now on. He would probably end up fat from eating like this all the time. “I definitely did not know about this particular talent of his but it is a wonderful surprise,”

“I can from the way you two are devouring those cookies,” 

Ray looked up from his own growing stack of cookies. Rip blinked. Where did he get those extra cookies? Why didn’t he get any extra cookies? He looked down at his lone cookie, a strange sadness welling up in him. He finished off his own cookie, trying very hard to make pleased noises. He would definitely not live that down. He looked back up at the plate of cookies, noticing that the pile was significantly smaller with only a single cookie left. He immediately reached out and took the last cookie from Jax’s hands. Jax pressed his lips together as if trying to hold in his laughter. Rip didn’t notice this, his focus still on the cookie now in his hands. He was bringing it to his mouth to take a bit when he heard a whine. He looked up at Ray, who looked absolutely devastated. His ears were pressed to the top of his head, and he was looking at Rip with what Kendra called his ‘puppy eyes’. He eyed Ray for a moment, then broke. He sighed, and handed over the last cookie. Ray perked up at this, his tail thumping behind him wildly. 

“Thanks Rip,” Rip winced when Ray stuck the entire cookie into his mouth, rumbling happily.

“Uh-huh,” Rip would deny that he was pouting, but he really wanted that cookie. Maybe he should ask Mick to make more. He definitely should. And he wouldn’t tell Ray about them.

A choking noise brought his attention back to Jax, who was holding a hand over his mouth, eyes shinning with unshed tears. Rip grew concerned with the youngest member of this team until Jax lowered his hand and howled with laughter. Rip blinked, sitting back at the sudden burst of noise. He watched in confusion as Jax hunched over, barely managing to hold himself up as he continued laughing. He didn’t see what was so funny to the younger man. 

“What is going on in here?” Martins voice echoed through the room. Rip thought that having the older man here would calm Jax down, but it just tipped him into another laughing fit. Martin looked startled for a moment before he relaxed. “Jefferson, what has gotten you into this mood?”

Jax just shook his head, pointing in the direction of Ray’s bed, where Rip was sitting cross-legged at the end. Martin raised an eyebrow at him but all he could do was shrug. He had no idea why Jax was laughing at him. He turned to Raymond who, of course, had a giant grin on his face. He seemed to know what was going on. If Ray could figure it out, why couldn’t he?

Martin sighed, as if he was used to Jax’s eccentrics. Rip had thought that he might have gotten used to them as well, but the younger man kept on surprising him. “Jefferson, you are going to have to be a bit clearer if you want any one of us to understand you,” 

It took a few more minutes for Jax to calm down enough that he could speak. His breath was coming in large gasps, often with little giggles in between. “Sorry. It’s just Rip,” He broke down into giggles again. “Sorry, sorry. Rip just looked so sad when he gave Ray the last cookie. Who knew that our fearless captain loved Micks cookies so much?”

Rip scowled at the mechanic, fighting the urge to stick out his tongue. He was not sad over some cookies. No matter what Jax said. Though it seemed like Martin was actually believing what the kid said, if the look on his face was anything to go by. His lips were twitching, as were his rabbit ears. Rip just wanted to hide in his room so he wouldn’t have to be embarrassed by this lot. 

“I was not _sad_ over some cookies. I am saddened by Ray’s lack of manners,” Rip tried to take on a serious tone, crossing his arms and sitting up straighter. It didn’t work. Jax started chuckling again. Rip sent him a glare which was just as ineffective. He groaned at the hopeless situation. He couldn’t believe that he was in this situation. Sitting in the med bay, playing Go Fish with Raymond, and being laughed at because he liked Micks cookies. He had to ask himself once more, what was his life coming to?

“Yes, that is something we can both agree on,” Martin said sternly, eyeing Raymond with a disappointed look. 

Ray looked down at all of the crumbs on the bed, and gave a shamed shrug. “Oops?”

Rip snorted in amusement. He couldn’t stay mad at him. “Anyway, getting away from this topic, how are you doing, Professor Stein?”

Martin gave him a bright smile, moving over the group. “Oh, it has been a fascinating day Captain Hunter. Gideon finally allowed me to look at the schematics for the time drive,”

“Gideon,” Rip sighed. He should be happy that Martin hadn’t found a way into the room that actually contained the time drive. That would definitely end in disaster. He has already come across some of Martin’s experiments in the lab, some which he did not appreciate having on his ship for how dangerous they were. 

“They are just the schematics Captain,” Gideon’s voice echoed through the room. She seemed happy, if that was what it was called. He still wasn’t used to her expressing emotions. He was still getting used to it. “He did ask to see the real thing, but I thought you would not appreciate that.”

“And you were right, Gideon. The lesser of two evils I suppose? Thank you.” 

“I would not have done anything to the real thing,” Martin protested, but Rip knew the truth. Mainly because he was the same way. Curious about anything knew that he was presented with. When he was younger, he liked to take things, anything and everything, apart just to see how it worked. He loved engineering, and was the best in his class at it. By the time he was fifteen, he knew how to fix even the most complicated time ship. He could probably take the Waverider apart and put it back together exactly the same. 

“Sure you wouldn’t. Just like you promised not to take apart the fabricator, and what did you do?” Rip eyed Martin, who seemed to be struggling with his words.

“Well, you see...I-I don’t...I couldn’t help it,” The physicist exclaimed. “It’s just, future technology is so incredible. You can not blame me for being curious. I put it back together anyway.”

Rip shook his head, laughing lightly at how flustered the older man seemed. He didn’t blame him too much. He could understand the need to know things. And he did put it back together properly so he supposed that it was a win that day. He just wondered what else the Professor had taken apart on his ship, and what he should put up guards for. 

“Captain, we have a situation,” Gideon’s voice echoed through the room.

Rip immediately jumped to his feet at the seriousness in her voice. He shared a look with the other men in the room. “What is it Gideon?”

“There’s-”

The ship suddenly lurched to the side, throwing Rip to the side. He groaned in pain as he hit the floor, his body gaining new bruises and adding to the ones he already had. He heard similar groans for the other men. He pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth against the pain. He took stock of the room, seeing everyone in relatively good condition. He turned and raced out of the room, heading to the bridge. He trusted Martin and Jax to take care of their resident wolf. 

He cursed as he ran through the halls. The alarms were going off, the red lights flashing. “What’s going on, Gideon?”

“It seems like Chronos has located us and has proceeded to fire upon us.” Rip stumbled at Gideon’s answer. He would not have thought that Chronos would attack so soon after their confrontation in the woods. He thought that he would have had at least a few more days before they came for him again. 

“Okay Gideon. Make sure that everyone is safe, then fire everything we have at him.,” He skidded to a halt next to the center console in the bridge. He followed Chronos’ ship on the radar, before doing some quick calculations. The first shot had destroyed a good part of the stabilizers, which would not be easy to fix. He would need a specific part for it, which meant having to leave the time stream. This would place the team in danger. He growled low. He would not allow this to pass. It was one thing to attack him, he was used to it, but to attack his team and put them in danger? Unacceptable. “Bring him down Gideon. He will learn the hard way that it is not a good choice to attack me,”

“Of course Captain,” Her determination made him smile. He was glad that she was just as upset as he was.

“Tell the team to strap themselves in. It is going to get rough,” He moved over to his seat and took control. He may not have much experience with combat in the time stream but he has fought many outside it. Hopefully he knows enough to hopefully survive this encounter. He heard the doors whoosh open, but he was too concerned with keep the ship steady so that Gideon could get a lock on Chronos’ ship. 

“What’s going on?” Mick rumbled, throwing himself into a chair. 

“Are we under attack?” Kendra asked, trailing in behind the dragon. Carter was by her side and they followed Micks actions, strapping themselves into a chair. Both of them looked fairly startled. 

“Who’s attacking us?” Leonard didn’t seem as bothered by the sudden attack as the others. 

“Chronos seems to have located us, which I still have no idea how. Plus, the ship is damaged and I can’t exactly pull over and fix it right now.” Rip winced as the ship jolted again, taking another hit. He growled, steering the ship in attempts to out run Chronos, but the Waverider is an older model and not quite as fast as his. But it was a lot sturdier and a hell of a lot more agile, able to make the kind of turns the newer ones could not. A plan was forming in his mind which could raise their survival rate but the consequences if it went bad were also very high. His mind raced as it weighed the pros and cons before making a choice. “Gideon?”

“I’m here, Captain.”

“You always are,” Rip smirked, before imputing some controls. “Hang on tight. This is going to get rough.”

He braced himself as he cut the engines. The Waverider jerked to a stop, tipping downwards. Chronos, obviously not expecting this move, blasted past him. His team didn’t seem to expect this either, as most of them yelped at the sudden stop. He couldn’t keep an eye on them if he was to make it out of here. He just hoped that they would be able to hold on. He jerked the ship to the left, hoping that the Waverider was just fast enough to get to the next step of the plan. _Come on, come on_ , Rip pleaded, begging for something to go right for once on this mission. Time doesn’t travel in a straight line, so neither does the time stream. It curved, and dipped in many directions. Rip was planning on using this to his advantage. He hoped to loose Chronos in all of the turns. The ship shook again briefly as he swerved through the stream, and he wondered how much longer the ship could hold up. His eyes quickly scanned the screens in front of him. He gave the ship a max of six minutes before it burned out. Enough time to get them out of this mess. After a few more twists and turns, he set the time drive to take them out at the closest timeline. He had lost Chronos but he had no doubt that he would still be looking. The best option would be to park in whatever time they came out in, and wait it out. Chronos would not be able to track him if he shut down the ship. He could take the time to repair the ship for the next time.

“Captain, we seem to have a problem,” Gideon sounded quite worried, which just ramped up his own. “We may have lost Chronos but his missile still has a lock on us. Our shield is greatly compromised.”

“Initiating evasive maneuvers.” Rip started the sequence but he could tell that it wouldn’t be enough. They would be hit and they would get knocked out out of the time stream. The ship was thrown from side to side as it attempted to avoid the missile. 

“Impact in 3..2..1,” The ship was flung to the side as the missile collided with them. Sparks flew through the room, the alarms blaring loud. He couldn’t stop the cry of surprise at the shockwave that echoed through ship. “Sir, we have been knocked out of the time stream,”

“What does that mean?” Kendra shouted over the noise.

“It means we’re crash landing in place and time,” He grit, his teeth clenched so tight, he was sure they would break. The Waverider’s power seemed to fail, sending them spiraling towards the ground. He braced himself as the ship hit the ground, shuddering violently as it skidded to a stop. Rip breathed a sigh of relief as the ship settled onto the ground. He took a moment to calm his racing heart and stop the shaking in his limbs. It has been quite a while since he has been in such an insane crash. He flipped some controls and shut down all non essential systems that had managed to survive the crash. He sat a few more moments before relaxing. He winced at the pain radiating through his muscles. It seemed like he was too tense during this whole chase and now he was paying for it. 

“What the hell was that?”

Rip sighed, this time in exhaustion. He turned to the team members currently in the room. They looked to be in fine physical condition though they seemed to be a bit rattled. He just hoped the ones he had left in the med bay had fared out just as well. “It seems like Chronos had managed to track us in the time stream-”

“I thought you said that it was impossible for people to track us in the time stream?” Carter was the first one to climb out of his seat. 

“Normally it is, but there are certain ways to do so. You seem to have forgotten that Chronos also has the support of the Time Masters. They probably gave him the equipment to do so.” Rip stood up and moved over to the display. He quickly scanned the screens, assessing the damage. It wasn’t actually that bad. If they could get a certain part for the ship, then it would take less then a day to fix the damage. “Gideon, give me a status report then start repairs on everything you can.”

“Of course Captain. Most of the damage is superficial and will be repaired within twelve hours. The remaining will need a certain part to finish repairs. You will be able to find the part in this time period, here in Star City 2046. More precisely, you will find the part in Smoak Industries,”

“Star City, huh?” Rip hummed then turned to his team. “Okay, here is what we are going to do. Ms. Lance, Mr. Snart and Mr. Rory will accompany me to find the part that we need. The rest will stay here to assist Gideon in the repairs.”

His plan was mainly so that he could keep an eye on the three people most likely to cause problems during this unscheduled visit but it seemed like the people disagreed with it. Mainly the two thieves.

“Why do you want _us_ to go with you?” Leonard drawled, his words slightly slurred for the rapid drop out of the time stream. 

“Because there is a high chance that we will need to steal this part,” Rip made a few adjustments to the systems, then moved towards the door. He would need to get dressed if they were going out into this world. He remembered briefly of the chaos happening in this time and hoped that it wouldn’t cause too much trouble for his team. “And I thought that maybe you would want to get out of this ship for a bit. Meet me in the cargo bay in ten minutes.”

Without waiting for an answer, Rip left the bridge and made his way back to the med bay to check on the rest of the team. He regretted having to leave them there but he had no other choice. The door to the med bay opened as he approached, Jax running out. He nearly collided with Rip but he was able to dodge the flailing cheetah, grabbing him so that he didn’t fall.

“Jax, what’s going on? Is everyone alright?” 

“Oh, Rip thank god. We were worried that something had happened to everyone else. The professor sent me to find out what’s going on,” He rushed out, Rip barely managing to catch the words. “Ray and the professor are fine, juts a little beat up. They’re more worried about everyone else,”

Rip led Jax back into the med bay to sit him down. He seemed to need a little less excitement. Martin and Ray looked happy to see him. “We’re all fine. We were attacked by Chronos and crashed. The ship isn’t too damaged but we need to go out to get a part to repair it. Ms. Lance, Mr. Snart, Mr. Rory and I will be going to get the part. I was hoping the rest of you could start repairs on the ship,”

“But, we don’t know anything about how the Waverider works. How will we be able to fix it?” Ray was sitting up on his bed, and he looked worried.

Rip gave them a reassuring smile. “Gideon can guide you through it. Plus, the three of you are the most qualified on this ship to do this. I wouldn’t have put you in charge of fixing it if I didn’t believe that you could do it. You will have Kendra and Carter to help you, and if the need comes up, defend you. You’ll be fine. I promise.”

“We’ll be fine,” Martin stated, clapping a hand on both Raymonds and Jax’s shoulders. “We can handle it Captain. You go get that part.”

Rip nodded, checking them over once more before leaving. He rushed through getting dressed, grabbing his jacket and making his way to the armory to pick up some weapons. He was rather fond of his laser revolver, but he also attached a knife to his thigh. Couldn’t be too careful.

The three were waiting for him when he arrived which kind of surprised him. He would have thought that he would have been here first. Sara raised an eyebrow at him but followed him out of the ship without asking the question that was no doubt on her mind. He led them through the streets, his eyes scanning over the abandoned and burning buildings for any sign of danger. He also had to remind himself to keep an eye on his fellow team mates to prevent them from wandering off. He wondered if this mission would go better then the last few. He hoped it would because he didn’t know if he would be able to handle having any of his team getting hurt. But this time, this time he was here to support them, and he would be damned if anyone hurt his team again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team fights Grant Wilson's men, something happens with Rip that has a team member questioning him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I decided that I'm just going to keep it as Animalis since it's simpler that way. 
> 
> I know that many of you have been saying that Rip has been suffering too much but I have to put him through some more stuff this chapter. Sorry but I promise you that it will get better.
> 
> Plus, the rating has gone up mainly because of the violence in this chapter. I don't know if it is deserving this rating with how little blood there is but just in case.

He should have guessed that things would not go the way he wanted them to.

In all honesty, this mission could have been worse. It’s true that there was a few casualties, including Mick wanting to stay, but everyone had made it out alive and in one piece. They got separated almost immediately, the two thieves disappearing somewhere. They discovered Connor Hawke portraying the Green Arrow, the actual Green Arrow Oliver Queen hiding away in his old lair. Sara was quite upset when she found him, and Rip couldn’t blame her. To see him like that, to see him give up, was something she wasn’t used to. But Oliver did manage to point them in the right direction of the part they needed. Then the fact that Mick seemed to have taken over a local gang only added to the mess. He said he wanted to stay, which caused a lot of friction between him and Leonard. He didn’t know what exactly happened between them, but when Leonard came back to the ship dragging the unconscious fire breathing dragon with him, he got a bit curious. He didn’t ask, mainly because it was none of his business. They managed to replace the part they needed, and the ships repairs were well on their way. But boy did he ever get hell from the assassin when he refused to go back and help Hawke when the idiot managed to get caught by a homicidal maniac.

“We are not going back there,” He stated, his voice firm and final. He was not going to risk the lives of his team, to rescue one man from his foolish mistake. But it seemed like some of this team disagreed with him.

“We can’t just leave him,” Sara was pacing back and forth in front of him, clearly agitated. 

“This is not our problem to fix. We need to leave now before Chronos gets a lock on our ship,” Rip shook his head at the antics of his team. Didn’t they realize just how dangerous Chronos was?

“I don’t care if he does,” Sara stomped over to him, an angry look on his face. “We need to help him. We can not just leave him to die here. He is the last one this city is counting on,”

Rip shook his head. “What about the others? We can not endanger this team just because you feel sorry for this guy,”

Her wings flared out in anger, the white feathers in her hair standing up. Rip’s thoughts went briefly to the image of an Avenging Angel, which was not too far from the truth. “I don’t feel sorry for this guy. I am rooting for this guy to make a change for this city,”

“I’m with her on this,” Leonard stood by her side, looking exceedingly stubborn.

“Of course you are,” Rip groaned. Why did he always have to put up with this kind of stuff from his team? “Why am I not surprised?”

“I may not know this guy but I agree. We can’t just leave him to die,” Kendra spoke up from the back of the group. This sparked several agreements among the rest. It seemed like they were going to go back out there, with or without him. His thoughts raced at all of the possibilities, all of the outcomes of this fight, what would happen if he didn’t go. It didn’t look good. It only left him one choice. He would be damned if he would let go out there without backup.

“Okay fine.” Rip threw up his hands. He felt like he should be used to his crew fighting against his decisions by now. He tried not to stomp like a child while leading the team back outside. “We’ll go rescue Green Arrow v.2 but after this, no more interfering with future events,”

“Isn’t that what we do, though? Travel around time and interfere with it?”

Rip sent a glare at the grinning snow leopard but refused to answer. He was too busy trying to figure out how to make sure that everyone survived this ordeal. He saw the excited looks that some of his crew were sporting. Only this crazy group of people would be excited to fight a group of crazy maniacs. 

“I’ll meet you guys there. There is one stop that I need to make,” Sara informed him before taking off. Rip barely got the chance to shout after he before she was gone. He had a feeling about where she went.

“Well then, shall we?” 

The fight lasted far longer then he imagined. He led them into the fray, using all of his skills to keep both himself and his team alive. Though keeping an eye on his team ended up being harder then he thought. They soon got separated. And the crazy men just kept coming. He had ended up having to use both his pistol and his knife.

If he was honest, it was complete chaos.

He loved it.

At least, the more animalistic, more monster part of him loved the fighting and the murder. It no longer felt suppressed by the chemicals normally in his system. It itched under his skin, howling to get out. He hadn’t realized just how into it he was getting until he had a man pinned to the ground, one hand wrapped around his throat, the other clutching his knife. He bared his razor sharp teeth, growling long and low. He was sure that some, but not all, of his monster attributes were showing. The man beneath him, eyes wide and frightened, began struggling. It wouldn’t do any good. He had his prey trapped, pinned down. This prey wouldn’t get away this time, not like the last time. This time, he will put an end to his enemies to protect his family. Having his blade slice through the flesh of the mans throat and seeing the dark red blood pouring out, was mesmerizing. He couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward and taking a taste. He rumbled at the flavour, his beast howling in satisfaction. 

“What the hell?”

Looking up from his kill, deep gold eyes scanned the lower life form who had interrupted his meal. A simple hyena dared challenge him? It was laughable really. All he would have to do was flick this tiny being and he would be dead. He wasn’t even worth his time. He turned back to the bloody meal laying beneath him and he grinned. Time to finish what he had started before he was so rudely interrupted. It has been such a long time since he has been able to enjoy his prey but it seemed to be a habit of this bug, interrupting for he raised his weapon and shot at him. He had to duck to avoid the bullet, causing him to fall to the side. He hissed at the sting of the near miss, whipping around to growl at the hyena.

“What are you?” The man seemed scared of him. Good. He should be.

Moving faster then the man could track, the fox pounced on him. He sank his teeth into the junction of his neck, grinning around the blood that poured out. He ignored the screams, instead digging his claws into the flailing arms and sank his teeth deeper. He always did enjoy it when they struggled. It just went to prove how much stronger he was then them, how much power he held over their lives. But it was over too soon as the man died. He threw away the man in disgust. They always died too easily, too fast for his taste. It wasn’t fun for him if it ended too quickly.

“Rip? Rip, where are you?”

That voice, he knew that voice. It was...it was...family. His family was calling him. He needed to...They can’t see him like this. Or was it, they weren’t _supposed_ to see him like this? It was all so confusing, he didn’t know what to think.

“Come on man. Stop hiding,” This one, the big cat, the cheetah called to him. He should go to him. He was the youngest in his family, he needed protection. No, that wasn’t quite right. He was strong. Just like everyone else in this family. He wouldn’t have it any other way. He scented his family and heard their footsteps coming closer. He didn’t need to be the monster anymore. He needed to be the Captain, to be Rip Hunter again. That was who his family needed now. 

A sharp pain in his head was what pulled Rip back to the present. He winced, bringing a hand to rub at his temples. He wrinkled his nose when something wet brushed against his forehead. He brought his hands back down and just noticed the bright red blood covering his hands. He turned around, taking in the gruesome scene in front of him. The two men that he had killed were laying in bloody heaps. He couldn’t believe that he had done that. He had practically eaten them. He did eat them. He ran his tongue around his mouth, tasting copper and other stuff he didn’t want to identify. He had to take deep breaths to prevent himself from emptying his stomach. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, figuring he would deal with his break down later. For now, he had to find his team.

His team were in fairly good condition. A bit battered, but nothing a night of rest wouldn’t heal. Hawke had been rescued, Queen had come back as the Green Arrow, and Grant Wilson had been defeated. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits as they headed back to the ship after saying their goodbyes. Except Rip. His mind was racing, his thoughts uneasy. He couldn’t concentrate on anything the team was saying, moving on auto pilot. He made sure everyone was physically fine, jumped the ship back into the time stream, then secluded himself in his office. He had brushed off everyone’s concern for him, claiming that he was fine. The team then dispersed to do whatever it was they wanted to. 

Again. Again he had lost control but the thing was, he didn’t. Not really. He remembered every detail, every touch, smell and... _taste_. He often remembered bits and pieces, never the whole thing. Plus, he didn’t go full on Kitsune, no ears, tails or magic. Just the blood lust and the absolute need to kill. No, that’s not quite right either. It was more along the lines of _protect_. Those men were a threat to his team – to his family, his mind offered – and he needed to protect them. That was a strange change of mind. He would have never guessed that his monster side would develop feelings for other beings then himself.

He really should stop referring to his Kitsune as his monster side. But is there even another name for the kind of being that enjoys killing and tormenting people?

His thoughts were too confused, too muddled with everything that has happened in the past few days that he couldn’t think straight. All he could think of right now was opening a bottle of scotch and drowning his thoughts. Which is exactly what he did.

He was pouring his third glass when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see the last person he expected to see. Of all the team members, Carter was not the one he expected to come to him. He was standing in the doorway, his wings pressed against his back. He looked relaxed, if not a bit worried. 

He waved to the glass in his hand. “You know, that stuff only blocks out the pain for a short while until it wears off.”

“Yeah, well I could go for a bit of numbness right about now. I don’t want to think right now,” Apparently, alcohol was making him more truthful. He didn’t realize how much of a lightweight he was. Given how much he drank, he would have thought it would take more to make him drunk. He offered Carter a glass, but the man shook his head. He shrugged, and downed his own drink.

“Care to talk about it?”

Rip raised an eyebrow at the man. He may not know him the best but he knows that Carter does not talk to people about feelings. That was more of Kendra’s area. “With you? I didn’t think that you were the sharing feelings kind of person,” 

“I’m not normally. But I have noticed that you see be troubled with something these last few days and I have become concerned for you,”

“I’m fine.” The conditioned response seemed easier to get out now that he had some alcohol in him. He was used to travelling alone, just him and Gideon. The only one he depended on was Gideon, she was the one to patch him up. She always seemed to know what he needed so he didn’t have to voice it. He never had the experience of sharing how he truly felt. And he wasn’t going to start with Carter. Especially not now when his mind wasn’t clear.

Carter huffed a laugh. “Yeah, you said but that does not mean that it is true,”

“No, but it’s all you’re getting. Thank you for your concern but some things are better left to sort themselves out.” Rip capped the bottle and placed it back into its hiding place. “I think it’s about time I went to bed.”

“You know, a friend of mine in an old life once told me ‘to carry each other is not a burden at all but a kind of privilege’. This team has become more then just a team-”

“I know that. I have seen some of them getting closer,”

The winged demi-god took a step forward. “Not some of us, _all_ of us. Hell, even Leonard and Mick have grown close with the others. And while we are getting closer, you keep drifting away. Everyone is worried about you. We want to help you but we can’t if you don’t tell us what is going on.”

“I highly doubt that, Carter. I’m just the lying Captain that dragged this team onto this suicide mission,” Rip was starting to wish he didn’t put the scotch away. This was too much feeling for his exhausted brain.

“You can not honestly still think that, can you?” He asked, staring at him as if he just grew two heads. 

Rip scoffed because no, he didn’t believe it. At least, not fully. He knows that they blame him for bringing them into this mess by lying to them but he also knows that they don’t hate him for it. He knew that they all had their own reasoning behind coming along with him even after they found out he lied. But just because they didn’t hate him for it, didn’t mean they liked him for it either. And it was fine, really. He has spent most of his life alone so he was used to it.

“Oh, you _do_ ,” Carter breathed, eyeing him with a sad look.

“No. I don’t think that but I know that this team isn’t jumping to be best friends with me,” Rip pushed himself to his feet, swaying a bit unsteadily. He could probably make it to his room before he crashed.

Though it seemed like Carter wasn’t going to let this go any time soon. “Because you won’t let them. You won’t let us get to know you.”

His words rang true and he had to briefly wonder if he and Kendra had a chat about what they had talked about in his room. They seemed to be on the same thought, thinking he needed to let them get close to him but today’s events just proved to him that he can’t control this...this power as much as he would like. No. It would be best if he didn’t allow them to get to close for now. At least until he found a better way to control it. “I can’t let them get too close,”

“Why not?”

Rip sighed. He was too tired for this. “Just..because,”

“Because why?”

Rip frowned. He didn’t think that Carter would take the childish approach with him. In fact, he wasn’t sure why he was questioning him anyway. He would have guessed that Carter would know the need to hide certain things. “Why is this so important for this team to know?”

Carter was silent for a moment and Rip was convinced that maybe he would be able to go to bed. Until he noticed the look in Carters eye. It was the same kind of look he got from Leonard when he had cornered him in the med bay. Calculating, judging. “Why is it so important for you not to tell?”

Rip threw up his hand in annoyance. He was tired, quite tipsy and he just wanted to go to bed. “Maybe because it’s none of their business,”

Carter hummed and took a step closer. “Or maybe you’re afraid,”

“I am not,” Rip took a few steps back, which caused him to bump into the wall. He didn’t like this new closeness. It made it seem too closed in, that there was no way out. He didn’t like this, and he had to admit that yes, he was scared.

“You are. I can see it. Why are you scared?”

“I told you, I’m not,”

“Why are you scared?” Carter demanded, stepping even closer. He didn’t like this. His mind was screaming, _danger_. The edges of his consciousness was fading into something more animal.

“Because it’s too dangerous!” He snarled at the man, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the wall. “Then they would finally see just how much of a monster I am,” He bared his teeth at the man. He may be family but he would not be challenged. The bird clutched at the hand he had wrapped around his throat. The other one was pushing against his chest uselessly, and his tawny brown wings were flapping against him. He could see the shock and the fear in the mans deep brown eyes. The fear. His family was scared, scared of him. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. His family should feel safe with him, feel love with him, not fear. They should never fear him and yet here he was with a frightened member of his family in his claws. His eyes widened at that and he released him, stumbling back a few steps. 

Carter coughed raising a hand to his throat, where it was lined with red marks. He hadn’t expected this kind of reaction when he had decided to push the Captain a bit. He had expected anger, maybe even having him storm out but seeing this, seeing his friend on the verge of falling apart because he couldn’t let things go. He watched as the man hunched over, pulling in deep breaths, his now green eyes filled with tears and Carter could see the pain deep inside them. He reached out to comfort the man but he flinched back as if burned.

“I-I didn’t...” Rip shook his head. His thoughts were _screaming_ at him. He needed to get away. Needed to leave before he hurt him any more. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Turning and fleeing his own office, he ignored Carter shouting after him. He knew it would happen. He knew he would hurt them one day. It might not have been serious but it was the very idea that he could have done worse. It could have gone so much worse. He was lucky that he was too tired to do anything else then threaten him. Twice in one day he had let loose the creature inside. Never before had this happened. The shortest time that he has gone between losing control was nine days. Now it was twice in one day. This mission was making him lose all of the control he had so carefully built up. And because of that, he has hurt one of his team. He hurt the people he cared for. 

Maybe they were right.

Maybe he really was a monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing, Carter has not been in much of the first season so I don't really have the best judgement of his personality but I hope that I have gotten it close. I see him as a person who feels quite strongly but doesn't physically show it. Anyway, this is a step closer to having the team know about him. I hope that you guys liked this chapter and a new one will be posted Monday.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carter returns to the team, bringing news and a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was just going to move past this right to Rip's point of view but I thought that it would be a good idea to do a chapter in someone elses point of view. Hopefully, I have gotten Carters personality close enough. Next chapter is Rips point of view after the fact.

Carter watched as Rip fled the room, reaching out to call after him but the man didn’t seem to hear him. His mind raced as he watched the younger man disappear around the corner. He stood in shock for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

Okay, so that had not gone the way he had expected. He had come here at the request of Kendra to see if he could coax him into opening up a bit more. Kendra had told him that she had talked to Rip and how she felt like they should try to get closer to him. He agreed on the most part but he hadn’t wanted to just jump right in and try to bring him into the group. He thought that making the Captain comfortable with each team member would be the best place to start. He had come here to talk to him about the day, to see if he was alright. Some of the others had needed a bit of comfort after today and Carter had a feeling that Rip may be the same. He had seen that Rip was definitely not okay but it had escalated when Rip refused to admit that he wasn’t fine. He had pushed the smaller man to his breaking point and he would never forget what he saw. Beautiful slitted golden eyes glared at him as he was pushed against the wall with unbelievable power, the pressure in the room increasing dramatically. The meteorite had given him enhanced strength and yet he could not seem to make Rip budge an inch. The snarls, growls and rumbles that echoed through the room made him feel like he was in a cage with a very powerful monster. He was starting to believe what Rip had said, that it was too dangerous. But he could also see the pain inside those beautiful eyes. He saw how deep that pain went and for a moment he feared what the Captain would do if the pain got to much for him to handle. After all, everyone has their breaking point.

Rip must have come back to himself for he pulled away and ran off before Carter could calm him. He wanted to chase after him to reassure him that he was fine but he had a feeling he wouldn’t be very welcome. But he couldn’t just leave him in that state for who knows what he would do. Not to others for he knew that Rip would avoid the others now but he was worried what he might do to himself if left alone. He has seen this kind of pain in others and it often destroyed them. He would be damned if he let that happen to their Captain. After all, they all cared for him deeply and wanted him in their group. 

There was only one being that he knew would be able to watch over the man without invading his space. “Gideon?”

“Yes, Mr. Hall?” She sounded bright and happy like always but he could hear the faint concern in her voice. He always knew that they had a special connection. After all, you don’t spend over a decade with someone and not be close. Even if it was only a computer.

“You’ll keep an eye on him right?”

“Of course. I’ll always keep an eye on him,” She seemed offended that he would even ask.

“Good. Thank you,” He left the room at a fast walk. He needed to get back to the group. They were waiting for him and the news he would bring. No doubt they were expecting him to bring back good news. His many lifetimes could not help him with how he going to explain this mess in a way that will make the others understand that they need to help him. He knew that his feelings for the captain was shared among the rest of the crew. 

He paused in the doorway to the rec room which had been remade into their room. They all had their individual rooms but there were times were they felt the need to be together. Over the last week or so, they have grown so close that he wouldn’t be surprised if they did end up forming a Familiae, which was just a Latin word for family. A normal Familiae is mostly just a family unit, and could be noticed by their scents. People would scent each other so that they smelled like each other. This was the most common form of the two, the one that most people preferred. But Carter knew deep down that this connection between them was something much more then that. A Bonded Familiae would be more likely. People formed a bond with the other members by trading a bite, or claiming mark, which connected their lives together for eternity no matter how many reincarnations that you go through. They were connected in a much more intimate way, sharing both thoughts and feelings. This group was close enough right now that people would guess that had already formed that bond.

He knew that some of this team had already started talking about it. It’s barely been a week and yet this group has become so close. He didn’t understand how it happened so quickly but he wasn’t going to argue. A warm feeling spread through his body at the thought of finally having a family after all these years, after all these reincarnations. He could imagine it, even with this rowdy group. Except, he realized as he took in the room, that they were missing one. One that would make this group a true family.

“What are you doing standing in the doorway like that?”

Carter looked over at his soulmate and smiled softly. He moved over to her and grabbed her outreached hand to place a kiss on the knuckles. “Hello, my love,”

“Hello,” She smiled softly at him and he was reminded exactly why he loved her. She was so gentle and yet, he knew that a powerful warrior slept inside. He moved around so that he could rub her shoulders. She groaned when he hit some tense spots. “Oh that’s nice,”

“You really are too tense, my love. You should not stress too much,” He said as he leaned in to nuzzle at the feathers on the back of her neck. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, just needing to hold her after what had happened. He breathed in her earthy scent, using it to calm his mind. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for causing Rip so much pain. If he hadn’t pushed then it wouldn’t have happened. He should have let it go, let him come to them on his own time. Though if he hadn’t, then he might not know what was bothering him. He had a feeling that Rip would not have come to them about his problems anyway. But now he knew why the Captain was so hesitant to get close to his crew. He was afraid of who he was, of what his Animalis was. He hated himself for it and that was getting in the way of being who he is. Carter swore, on his life, that he would help Rip see that he didn’t need to be afraid anymore. 

“So?”

“Hmm?” Carter looked up at Sara who had her feet in Raymond’s lap, her own lap filled with a reading cheetah. Everyone seemed to be extremely comfortable and Carter wanted nothing more then to join them. Instead, he would have to ruin their night with what he had to say.

“Care to share what happened with Rip? Did it go well?” The entire group seemed to turn their attention to him. Even Mick had abandoned his box of donuts to lean closer. Carter felt slightly uncomfortable with having everyone’s eyes on him.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts before he shook his head. “It did not go well,”

Leonard snorted and shook his head. “That bastard is still refusing to tell us anything. Typical. He still thinks he’s too good to tell us.”

“That is not it,” Carter said harshly. Normally he would be able to hold his temper but after what he had witnessed, he hated the fact that anyone would say that. They didn’t know what Rip was going through, didn’t know the kind of pain he was in so he didn’t blame them for thinking this. They would have needed to see what he did to understand why he reacted like this. This seemed to shock the people around him. Even Leonard, who leaned back with wide eyes. “He does not believe that. There is a reason for not sharing his problems with us.”

“Which is?” The snow leopard seemed to have recovered quickly and it looked like he wasn’t going to let it go. He would have rolled his eyes at the antics of the thief but he had long since gotten used to it. He just wished that he would be a bit more sensitive about it.

One thought echoed through his mind. Should he tell them the truth and risk having Rip drift farther apart from them? He wanted to help Rip but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to do it alone. He just hoped that this family would be able to be gentle about it. “He’s scared.”

This sparked the questions but he shut them down with a glare. Except for Ray, who looked confused and hurt. “Of us? Why?”

Carter sighed and moved over so that he could sit on a chair that faced the entire group. He looked around at the faces of his team, seeing confusion for the most part, some hurt and even a little disbelief. He shook his head. Of course they would jump to that first. “He’s not scared of us. He’s scared of himself,”

The silence after that admission was deafening. He had expected the outpouring of questions like last time but nothing. Not one question. In fact, it just seemed to make them more confused. He waited while they processed this new information. After all, who would think that strong, smart, brave Rip Hunter would be afraid of himself? He would give them all the time they needed. After all, if they were going to help Rip then they needed to understand why he was not allowing himself to get closer to the team. 

Finally, Martin spoke up. “Why would he be afraid of himself?”

“Something...happened when I talked to him. I ended up pushing him to his limit and he...he seemed to have lost control of his Animalis. It started to show and he lashed out at me,” Carter lowered the collar of his shirt, showing them the already healing red marks. He didn’t blame Rip for them, but he knew that his team would. He was right, for this caused many of them to growl in anger. He understood it, he would be angry too if someone had hurt any of them, but he also knew that he had been the person who caused Rip to lash out.

They didn’t seem to care though because Sara climbed to her feet, her face murderous. It looked like a few of them were going to follow her, even the ever calm Leonard. “I’m going to kill him. Even if he is Captain, it does not give him the right to hurt his team,”

“Sara, sit down. You need to listen to the entire story before jumping to conclusions.” He said softly. He knew that ordering her around was never a good thing to do. Plus, adding more anger to an angry situation was not going to help. Sara stared at him as if she was going to argue but huffed and sat down anyway. She crossed her arms and glared at him as if to say ‘hurry it up so I can go kill him’. “This was not his fault. I pushed him too far-”

“That doesn’t mean he has the right to hurt you,” He gave her a look at her interruption and she rolled her eyes. She waved at him to go on. 

“I know but he didn’t mean to hurt me. I think...” He paused, his mind going to the moment right after Rip let him go. He looked horrified and broken. There was no way that someone like that would purposely hurt him. “I believe that he can not control his Animalis half, which is probably why he hides it. I believe that it is too powerful for him to control fully. I think it might have to do with the fact that he is a Mythical type Animalis.”

Now that seemed to shock Sara enough that she lost her anger. In fact, all of them had similar expressions. He was sure he had the same expression when he first realized it back in Rip’s office. At first, his mind rejected it because it was extremely difficult to hide a Mythical type but as he thought on it, it began to make sense. What else could have that much power, enough power to make someone lose control of their own mind and body? He thought it to be something of the higher tier species because of the power. That didn’t narrow down the options though for there were so many of them. Take Mick for example. He was a fire dragon, which was a higher tier species. It wouldn’t matter though. This was their Captain and they would care for him, no matter what he was.

“What species?” It seemed like Leonard was on a similar thought pattern.

Carter shrugged. “I do not know, but does it really matter? He fears himself because he can not control his own power, which is why he tries to distance himself from us. He believes that he will hurt us if he loses control.”

“But couldn’t he have told us what he was so that we could help him? Does he not trust us enough to tell us?” Jax looked so sad and Carter wanted nothing then to envelop him in his wings and hold him tight. He refrained from doing so, mainly because he needed to get this team informed about his plan to help Rip.

“I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t want trust us. I think that maybe he has been conditioned to think that he _can’t_ trust us. After all, what do we know about the Time Masters or his life before them?” Carter watched the expressions of his team to judge whether or not they would be on board with his plan. Some of them still looked upset and if he was honest, so was he. Tonight’s events have opened up a whole lot of questions that he wanted to know. Though the most important one was how are they going to help Rip overcome this fear? “He needs us to show him that it doesn’t matter what he is, that we still care for him. To show him that he is important to us.”

“And you plan to do that?” Sara had leaned forward, a determined look in her eyes. He could tell then, that she was on board. Her anger had been replaced with a hard determination.

He smiled and looked around, eyeing everyone. “I was hoping we all could do it, if you are all truly interested in him,”

Ray whined a little, as if the idea was too unbelievable to even think. “Of course we are, but how will we get him to believe the one thing he refuses to accept?”

Carter shook his head. “That I do not know. What I do know that it is not going to be easy and it won’t be done in one day or even one week. You all need to be dedicated to this and go through with it to the end. If not, then you are better off not doing it at all.”

“Why don’t we just tell him straight up?” Mick rumbled. He had remained silent during this conversation which had made Carter believe that maybe he wasn’t as interested as the others. But he go a good look at him and saw how tense he was, how his eyes shone with something that Carter couldn’t place. “Tell him that we want him with us? That he belongs with us?”

“I don’t think that it will work.” Finally, someone who knows what he is talking about. Kendra had talked with Rip and gotten to know him a bit more so she would know how he is. She would know what he was like and why he wouldn’t share so easily. “I had a talk with him and he hinted that his life is filled with bad memories. From what I could get from him, I think that he hasn’t had many people that actually cared for him enough to show it.”

“Well, we’re here now. He won’t feel that way again.” Ray nodded with a giant grin on his face. He was the one person Carter wasn’t doubting. Ray always wore his feelings on his face so it was easy to see just how invested he was. Carter wondered if something had happened between Ray and Rip for Ray to feel this strongly for the other man.

“We’ll just have to take it easy at first, get him used to the fact that we are here to stay,” Kendra shared a smile with the wolf. 

Sara clapped her hands together. She seemed eager to start this whole thing if the genuine smile she was sporting was anything to go by. “So how are we going to do this? I mean, we can’t all just follow him around everywhere. He’ll get suspicious that way.” 

“No, but we can start with trying not to force him to tell us anything he doesn’t want to tell us. Let him tell us at his own speed.” Martin chimed in with his fantastic idea. Forcing Rip had not ended well so allowing him to tell what and when he wanted to gave him the choice.

“I think that we should start spending more time with him.” Kendra seemed to be on the same page as Sara. In the past, Carter would have been jealous that she was interested in another man but now, he was just as interested. “I mean, when I talked to him he seemed to want to spend more time with us but didn’t exactly know how. I’m not saying that we should make him come to the group stuff but maybe some one on one stuff couldn’t hurt,”

“We can stop questioning everything that he does,” Carter sent a look at the pair of thieves who didn’t even bother to look affected by it. They may care for Rip in their own ways but that doesn’t mean that they were willing to follow his every command and order. “Trust his judgment,”

“We won’t follow it if it’s a stupid decision,” Mick scoffed as if the very idea of following anyone was ridiculous. 

That got a smile out of Carter. It’s good to know that some people didn’t change. “Okay, so we will take it slow for the next few days to see how he is now. He was pretty upset when he realized that he had hurt me and I think he needs time to sort through his thoughts,”

“We can’t just leave him alone. He’s probably hurting right about now,” Jax’s tail was twitching like crazy, his unease showing through his body language. He was quite similar to Ray with how he showed his emotions through his body language.

“It’s not like we can force our way into his room because we thought he might be ‘hurting’,” Leonard crossed his arms, as if to act like he didn’t care but Carter could see right through him. He was like Mick, unable to show physical emotions but still felt them strong enough. Carter had first thought that Len and Rip wouldn’t get along because their personalities are polar opposites but in the right circumstances, they could be an unstoppable team.

“I’m not saying we leave him alone forever, just for the next day. And don’t blame him for this. He couldn’t control it just like Kendra couldn’t control her Berserk.” He sent an apologetic smile in Kendra’s direction for mentioning her Berserk. “We need to show him that it is okay, that we don’t blame him for stuff he can’t control,”

“So we don’t mention what happened between the two of you and just be by his side if he needs us to be,” Ray summarized. 

Carter nodded and thought that this was the way they would win over their Captain. It would take a while and it would have to be a team effort but he knew that they could do it. They may be uncooperative at the best of times, but if they all share the same goals then it would be easy for them to do this. They could finally be whole for there was always a feeling of wrongness when he wasn’t with them. If someone had told him four thousand years ago that he would be travelling through time with people who would become his family, he would have laughed and proclaimed them to be crazy. Now, as he sat among his new family, he realized that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Familiae doesn't mean family in Latin, at least not fully. I typed family in the google translate and picked the one that looked the most unique. Arbor Familiae means family tree so hopefully no one hates on me for that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rips experience after the events in his office and an event in the kitchen will leave him scarred for life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This starts out quite serious but gets happier near the end. The next few chapters are lighter, the team spending more time with Rip so the dark times are over for now.
> 
> I've also decided to downgrade to just posting once a week. It's getting harder to write this and keep up with me school work. Hopefully you guys don't mind.

_They’re going to hate me_. The only thought running through his mind as he lay on his bed. He had raced back to his room and threw himself down onto the sheets. His heart had been racing as he was running through the halls but now as he lay on his side, it was calm as if he hadn’t just run through the halls in a near panic state. It was completely different then the last time. Last time he had fallen into a state of panic but now he just felt cold. Cold and empty.

Alone.

He didn’t even have the energy to do anything other then just lay there, staring at the wall. His mind had calmed down a bit, drifting towards a state of blankness. He drifted through his thoughts, not really understanding them nor caring to. He had wanted to stop thinking and that was what he did. He stopped thinking. He had no idea how long he lay on his side staring at the wall before something called to him.

“Captain?”

It took him a moment to realize that Gideon had spoken to him. He hummed in acknowledgement. 

“Are you alright?”

After a few seconds, he realized that she had asked him a question. With some effort, he rolled over onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. He had to force his mind to start thinking again but it didn’t take much to find the answer.

“No,”

“Is there anything I can do to make it better?”

Rip wanted to smile at that but he just didn’t have it in him. Gideon was always there for him. The one that has been in his life the longest and has been his support through the years. When he lost his family, Gideon was the one to help coax him away from the depression. If she hadn’t, he knew that he wouldn’t be alive right now. He would have fallen into a place where he couldn’t escape in any other way then death. She saved his life. He owed her so much and he had no idea why she cared about him so much when he had no way of paying her back. 

But there were things that not even Gideon could do. “Unless you can turn back the clock so that I didn’t hurt Carter then no, there isn’t anything you can do,”

It was silent for a while and Rip drifted back into his mind. He didn’t want to think or feel right now. He just wanted peace. Something that he would never get, was peace. He had too much darkness in his mind and in his heart for peace. He would never be free of his sins but he has known that for a while. He had learned to accept that he will never be forgiven in the eyes of the people he has hurt. But that was okay. He was used to being alone.

“You’re not alone, Captain,” Gideons voice echoed through his mind, soothing his sad thoughts and dreams. “I have told you this before Rip. You are loved and you will not be alone forever,”

_You don’t know that_ , the darker part of his mind supplied. _After what you did today, how will they ever love you again?_

_Shut up _, Rip snapped. He didn’t want to be alone, didn’t want to believe that he was alone. A part of him, the brighter, happier part of him knew that his team would never abandon him. That he would never truly be alone, just like Gideon had said. But how could he stop his darkest thoughts from corrupting that? His mind was filled with more darkness then light so it wasn’t hard for it to subdue the light. The darkness was so much more powerful then the light and the thoughts began to consume him. He wanted to cry out, to beg and scream for help but it seemed he was paralyzed in his own body. His thoughts attacked him and he knew then, that he would drown. There was no escape.__

__“There is an escape. You just have to believe that you can win against your own darkness. I know that it may be hard but since when did Rip Hunter ever like things that are too easy?” And there she was again, his Gideon, his support. God, what would he do without her? And she was right. He could just sit back and wallow in his own self pity. If he did, he would never be happy again. If he accepted the darkness in him, the light would have no chance to shine through. He needed to do something about it. He needed to do what Kendra had suggested and stop living in the past._ _

___But the past is all you have_ , The darkness whispered. At one time, it had sounded sincere and honest but now that he had Gideon by his side, it sounded so fake. He couldn’t believe that he had actually believed that part of himself._ _

___No, I have the future_. With that thought, he pushed the darkness away and deep into his mind. He knew that he would never be free of the darkness but he also knew he didn’t have to live with it at the front of his mind all the time. The future is what was worth fighting for. No matter how dark it might get, it was always worth it. He had his future with his team to look forward to. Which reminded him that he should apologize to Carter for his behaviour. He struggled to sit up so that he could go tell him._ _

__“In the morning Captain. You need your rest and I’m sure that Mr. Hall can wait,”_ _

__He couldn’t though. He needed to tell the man that he hadn’t meant to hurt him, that he had been tired, and just had too much to drink. But it wasn’t like he could argue too much with Gideon. “How would you know?”_ _

__“Nothing happens on this ship without me knowing Captain,” She sounded rather smug about that._ _

__He waited for her to go on but it seemed like she was content just letting it go. Well, he wasn’t. “So..what happened with Carter?”_ _

__“Mr. Hall does not blame you for what happened. I think that he understands a bit more then you think,” Gideon spoke and Rip could have sworn he heard her make an amused sound._ _

__“What does that even mean?”_ _

__“Sorry Captain but it’s not my business to share. You can tell him tomorrow about how you feel. _After_ you get some rest.” Gideon paused before speaking again, with more humour in her voice. “Because, if you want my honest opinion, look like crap,”_ _

__This time, he did laugh. Always so honest. One of the many reasons why he loved Gideon. “Thank you Gideon for, you know, everything,”_ _

__“Of course Captain. Someone has to take care of you,”_ _

__“And you take such good care of me.” He was glad that she was here. He was finally at ease and he could sleep peacefully. “Goodnight, Gideon,”_ _

__“Goodnight, Rip”_ _

__Apparently, sleeping in his own bed had been a good idea for he felt like he actually slept well when he woke. He no longer felt tired, nor did he have any sign of a hangover. He also didn’t seem to have any of the lingering emptiness from last night. In fact, he felt better then he has in a long time. He never realized just how much of a hold the darkness had on him until now. Maybe it was Gideon, or maybe it was just the fact that he needed a push in the right direction, but it seemed like his mind was becoming clearer. He hoped that this state of mind would be permanent. He stayed buried in his blankets for a moment, relishing in the warmth. He didn’t know how but during the night he had ended up buried under several blankets, splayed in the most ridiculous position. He let out a muffled sigh, knowing full well that he had to get up and get on with his day. He had stuff to do, like get Gideon searching for more leads on Savage, and fixing any minor damage that he hadn’t gotten to earlier. Though the most important thing he had to do was apologize to Carter. He wouldn’t be able to move on if he didn’t._ _

__“Good morning, Captain. Did you sleep well?”_ _

__He smiled, memories of last night echoing through his mind. Did he mention how much he loved her? He struggled out of the pile, peeking his head out of the lump. “I did, thank you Gideon.”_ _

__“Of course. Now, the team wanted me to let you know that breakfast will be in half an hour. They plan on making french toast,”_ _

__At the thought of his team, his heart fell. He wondered if Carter had told the others about what had happened between them. If he did, what would they think? How would they treat him now that they knew he had an uncontrollable power? Would they treat him just like everyone else has before?_ _

__He shook his head. He was going too far into the darkness again. He struggled with the blankets, trying to figure out how to get out. He needed to get out of bed and get moving before he decided to stay._ _

__“Having trouble, Captain?” Gideon was practically laughing at him._ _

__“Shut up,” He grumbled but he couldn’t help the smile growing on his face. Leave it to Gideon to pick on a guy in trouble. He fought with the blankets for a few more moments before he managed to find an opening. He was ready to just start this day, so much so that he didn’t notice the blanket wrapped around his ankle. This caused him to tumble to the floor with a curse. He let out several more colourful curses as he seemed to get even more tangled in the sheets. A light laugh brought him back to the present. Rip stopped struggling and looked up at the ceiling in surprise. “Are you laughing at me Gideon?”_ _

__“Me?” Gideon sounded way too innocent for Rip to believe her. “I would never laugh at my Captain. Even if it is because he can not seem to win against some linen.”_ _

__Rip could feel his face heat up in embarrassment. He grumbled and started untangling himself slowly. He couldn’t believe that Gideon was picking on him. She was supposed to be on his side. Finally, he managed to find an opening in the sheets and practically threw himself in the opposite direction. He grinned happily when he was free of the constricting material._ _

__“It’s good to see you have defeated your enemy, Captain,” Her voice was still filled with laughter which caused his blush to deepen._ _

__“Oi, be nice to your Captain. He’s had a rough start today,” He climbed to his feet, frowning down at himself. He had not undressed before he had fallen asleep so he was still covered in dirt, blood and other stuff he didn’t want to identify. He was going to need another shower, and probably a shave. He undressed, dumping his clothes into the laundry hatch and moved to the bathroom. He looked himself over in the mirror, noticing that he looked like death even after a good nights sleep. He would need a lot of work to fix that. He turned to hop into the shower but noticed the bandage on his side. He pulled it off and threw it in the garbage. The laceration had closed, leaving behind only an angry red line. There were a few new bruises but nothing too serious._ _

__“Is that what we are calling it?”_ _

__“Yes, that’s what we are calling it.” Rip wanted to scowl at her cheerfulness but he was glad that he could still joke with someone. Who knew that Gideon had such a teasing sense of humour? “What has gotten into you today? I’ve never seen you like this,”_ _

__“I am just happy to see that you are taking my advice seriously,”_ _

__“What advice would that be?” Starting up the shower, he hopped in eagerly. He wanted to get rid of all the evidence of yesterdays fight. He scrubbed hard enough until his skin was pink. He had to be sure to get everything for he didn’t want a reminder of what he did._ _

__“That there is always an escape to the darkness if you truly want it,” He paused in his scrubbing to think about that. He remembered her in his dream last night, helping him fight his darkness. He knew that if she hadn’t been there with him, he would have given up. He would have sunk down to a place where he would never be able to come back from._ _

__“Ah, I see.” He didn’t say more, too immersed in his thoughts. Once he deemed himself clean enough, he got out and moved over to the sink. It took him a total of twenty more minutes to shave, dress and style his hair in a way where it didn’t look like he just crawled out of bed. He actually didn’t look like death anymore, which he would be eternally grateful for._ _

__But just in case. “How do I look, Gideon?”_ _

__“As handsome as ever, Captain,”_ _

__For some reason, her comment made him smile, a faint blush rising in his cheeks. “Thank you Gideon,”_ _

__“You’re welcome. Now, your team is expecting you in the kitchen for breakfast.” Her tone left no room for argument, not that he was going to. He was going to go, both because he wanted to spend more time with his team and he needed to apologize to Carter._ _

__“Right, of course. Tell them I am on my way,” With one last look in the mirror, he made his way to the kitchen. As he approached the doorway, he heard a commotion. Stopping in the doorway, he stared in horror at the scene before him._ _

__There was flour _everywhere _. It covered the floor, the table and chairs as well as the people inside the room. Mostly, it was covering their youngest member, who didn’t seem to mind if the smile he was sporting was anything to go by. Jax was laughing as he grabbed a handful of flour and threw it at his partner, who looked startled. Martin wrinkled his nose, his rabbit ears rising on his head. He sniffled a few times before he sneezed, sending a giant cloud of flour through the room. This just made Jax laugh louder. Mick, who was standing by the stove, chuckled alongside the cheetah. He was also fairly covered in the white powder, dusting his bright red scales that ran across his arms and spine with a snowy white. His wings and tail that had been tucked away seemed to have taken on an ice dragons appearance with how covered they were. Raymond was sitting at the table, tail wagging widely as he conversed with Kendra and Carter. He seemed to have the same problem as Jax, being absolutely covered in flour. The two hawks were in better condition but not by much. Where did they even get this much flour? Sara was sitting next to Ray, watching everyone else while trying to protect her coffee from the fight. Though the funniest thing going on was Leonard. He was tucked away in the cleanest corner, ears flattened against his head and tail wrapped around his leg. His nose was wrinkled in disgust and he was eyeing the people around him cautiously. It seemed like Rip wasn’t the only one that found this a little disturbing.___ _

____Rip pressed his lips together to prevent himself from laughing but he broke when Kendra flapped her wings, sending a cloud of flour towards Leonard. The snow leopards eyes widened but he couldn’t do anything as he was hit right in the face. When the dust settled, Leonard was just as covered as the others, except he had an extremely scandalized look on his face. That was what tipped him over the edge. He howled with laughter, clutching his side as he gasped for breaths. He didn’t care that the rooms occupants attention was trained on him. He just couldn’t get Leonard’s expression out of his mind. He placed a hand over his eyes so that he wouldn’t have to look at the scene anymore, so that he could gain some resemblance of control._ _ _ _

____“Sorry, sorry. I just...” He lowered his hands but once again saw Leonard covered in flour, this time with a pout and it set him off again into little giggles. He saw a few of the others follow his line of sight and laugh when they saw the thief’s condition. He waved his hands. “I can’t. I _can’t_.”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, yeah laugh it up.” The man growled out, crossing his arms trying to look threatening. All he did was amplify his pouting expression. “You just wait until they get you,”_ _ _ _

____“Oh no they won’t.” Rip spoke quickly because he could see the look that Jax and Ray were sending him. He noticed that Jax was inching closer to him with his hands hidden behind his back. He held up his hands to ward off the approaching cheetah. “No, I spent too much time getting ready. I will not have you dirty it,”_ _ _ _

____“Come on Captain. Live a little,” Jax grinned as he stalked closer and Rip was beginning to see the predator inside the young man._ _ _ _

____Rip started to back away, his hands still raised as if it would ward off the attack he just knew was coming. He had his eyes trained on the approaching man that he didn’t notice that someone had snuck up behind him. A movement in the corner of his eye made him turn just as Raymond dumped some of the white powder over his head. Jax took this moment to jump forward and throw his pile at Rip._ _ _ _

____“Ha, gotcha!” Ray cried happily._ _ _ _

____“Ah, no! It’s gonna stick, it’s gonna stick,” Rip cried, trying to wipe the dust from his hair where there was enough gel to cling to all of the flour. He whined sadly when his hands came away damp and sticky with flour. His arms dropped to his side, completely giving up with his team. He believed that they did this kind of thing on purpose. He scowled at the grinning team._ _ _ _

____“Aw, don’t look like that captain,” Leonard drawled, his own pout turning into a smirk. “Now you match the rest of us,”_ _ _ _

____“I don’t want to match,” Rip tried not to whine and stomp his feet like a child, but it was a near thing. “I want to be clean,” Several chuckles echoed through the room at that and Rip couldn’t help but shake his head. It seems like their happiness was infectious for he soon found himself laughing along with them. He supposed that it could have been worse. It could have been icing, or syrup or something more sticky._ _ _ _

____“You can clean later,” Sara spoke up, taking a sip of her coffee. Her nose wrinkled and she looked down at her cup. Apparently, her attempts to protect her coffee from a flour assault had been in vain. She sent a glare at the two instigators who had the decency to look a bit guilty._ _ _ _

____“I’m a bit more worried about who’s going to clean this mess,” Rip pointed to the mess around the room. Even if all of them pitched in, it would take at least two hours to completely clean it to what it was before._ _ _ _

____“Don’t worry Rip, we’ll clean it,” Ray smiled at him. He looked around the room and his smiled faded a bit. “We’ll....do it later,”_ _ _ _

____“Uh huh,” Rip gave him an unimpressed look, which only caused him to smile more. Did this man ever not smile?_ _ _ _

____“Breakfast is ready,” Mick said, pushing past the people in his way to set a plate stacked full of french toast and a plate of pancakes on the table. He made several trips, placing a variety of food on the table. Rip had a hard time believing that he had made all of it because it looked so good._ _ _ _

____Rips mouth watered at the smell coming from the plates and he could barely restrain himself from running over and just stuffing his face. Though apparently the others had no problem doing just that. Soon enough, the room was filled with chatter and Rip couldn’t help but stand back and watch. He had planned on coming here, apologizing to Carter, then grabbing something to take with him when he retreated back to his office. But once again, this team has managed to distract him. He didn’t realize just how into it he had gotten until he was covered in flour. He took in the team, but he couldn’t see any sign that Carter had told them what happened for he knew he would be dead by now for hurting Carter. Instead of the glares he was expecting, he got smiles and laughs. He wanted to ask how again but he already knew the answer. Because this is how his team is. They may fight, argue and disagree on a lot of things but when it came down to it, they would always have each others back. Because they were more then just a team. They were a family._ _ _ _

____“Hey, you just going to stand there and stare at us or are you going to come and eat?” Mick rumbled from his spot beside Martin. Rip shook his head to clear his head before taking the empty seat beside Mick. It seemed like the dragon had already made him a plate. It was piled with food and there was no way he would be able to finish it all. He sent a look at Mick but the man just shrugged. “You’re far too skinny. You need to eat more,”_ _ _ _

____“I’m not too skinny.” Rip mumbled, sparing a glance down and he could see that he was not too skinny. Mick had no idea what he was talking about. But he took his advice and started eating anyway. He was sure that some of his food would disappear and ‘magically’ appear on someone else’s plate. It seemed to happen every time they had a team meal, even though he tried to keep an eye on his food. He doesn’t know how they do it but he didn’t mind too much._ _ _ _

____Mick watched him eat for a moment before nodding, happy that he was eating. Mick was sure he could easily wrap his hands around the mans hips with how skinny he was. He could probably carry him with one hand because he was so light. He wondered if it was just a natural part of him or if it has become habit. Either way, he was going to make it his mission to make him gain some weight. It wasn’t healthy to be that thin. He may or may not have a problem with people going hungry, as it tied so much into his past. He gazed around the room, noticing just how happy everyone seemed to be. In the past, he has always been known to be dull, in both intelligence and emotions, and he was okay with that. He didn’t like people and people didn’t like him. He was sure he could live his life perfectly fine that way. The only ones he ever seemed to like as Lenny and Lisa. Even with their problems now and in the past, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for the people he cared about. Now, sitting in the kitchen of a space ship, he was feeling more then he has ever felt in his life, with the exception of certain arson related events. He felt more connected with this group of people then he had with his own family._ _ _ _

____“If I have to eat, then so do you,” Rip’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts._ _ _ _

____He looked over at the Englishman. He was frowning which Mick in no way found cute. “I don’t need it as much as you,”_ _ _ _

____“You can’t scold me on it, then neglect it yourself,” He looked quite upset at Mick, who rolled his eyes and began eating. His chest was filled with a warmth he couldn’t put the cause on fire._ _ _ _

____Maybe he could get used to this._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit that when Rip poked his head out of the blankets, I just imagined a fox covered in blankets poking his head out. I loved the idea so much that I just had to put it in there. I just like the idea that when he lets himself be who he really is, then he becomes this childish, happy person. I want to see some of that in the next season.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip ends up cleaning the kitchen alone until he is joined by some of his team. He learns some personal things about them and it brings them closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't realized just how long this is going to get. I'm on chapter thirteen and I haven't even moved on the events of the next episode. SO I think it's probably going to be much longer then twenty chapters. Anyway, here you go another chapter.

After breakfast, Rip volunteered to stay behind and clean up the mess. He needed the time to himself to sort out his thoughts and figure out how he was going to explain to Carter what had happened last night. The others wanted to help, Ray and Jax specifically, but Rip sent them away. He needed something to keep his mind busy enough that he wouldn’t have to think too deeply today. The last few days have wrecked havoc on his body and his mind so he has decided to keep himself busy. And cleaning a kitchen practically painted with flour would keep him busy for the next few hours. He actually enjoyed cleaning because it was almost therapeutic. He even had Gideon put on some of his old records and by the time an hour had passed, he was practically dancing along to the beats.

He had gotten so into cleaning that he didn’t hear the door open. “Would you like some help?”

Rip did not yelp in surprise, no matter what Martin would say. He sent a glare in his direction but it seemed like the older man was immune to his glares. He straightened up, trying to pretend that he was not dancing along to some old blues in a kitchen half covered in flour. “I should be able to handle it. Thank you anyway, Professor,”

Rip expected him to argue but all he did was nod. “Do you mind if I keep you company then? It’s not good to lock yourself away from people all the time.”

Rip shrugged. He had no idea why the professor would want to waste time watching him clean up flour but he wasn’t going to deny the company. Martin was one of the few where he felt more connected too. Maybe because both of them were scientists, of a sort in his own case, and they had been married at one time. “If you wish, though I cannot guarantee that I will be good company,” 

Martin gave him a smile and sat down on one of the clean chairs. It looked like he had cleaned himself up for he was no longer covered in flour. “Nonsense Captain. You are always incredible company. I bet you there is so much I could learn from you,”

Rip couldn’t help but return the smile. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Martin,”

“It’s not just flattery, it’s the truth.”

Rip felt himself smiling even more. There were times where the Professor couldn’t seem to say the right thing but right now, he seemed to be saying exactly what he needed to hear. “Well, thank you anyway.” 

They fell into a comfortable silence, Rip picking up the duster again. He had only gotten a portion of the room clean in the last hour but he wasn’t tired at all. It seemed like throwing away his troubles while focusing on one task was good for him. Not once had his mind sunk and he was actually happy. Something that he hasn’t felt in the longest time. He hadn’t realized just how much his team made him feel. Most of the time it was frustration, irritation, and exhaustion but there were also times where he felt surprised, proud, and impressed. Not that he would ever tell them that. They would let it get to their heads and he would never hear the end of it. Especially from Leonard and Sara. For some reason it was always those two who seemed to take the lead, no matter how much Rip protested. Rip had to admit though that they had some skills that he could appreciate, like their ability to take control of the group in the field. Something that he could not do. Everyone on this team had their own strengths and weaknesses but they fit together better then any other group he has known. If he was one to believe in Fate, then he would guess that this team was meant to be together.

“Something on your mind, Captain?”

“Hmm?” Rip looked up from where he had paused in his work. He had not even realized that he had stopped his work. He hadn’t realized just how much he seemed to do that. “Sorry. There’s just a lot on my mind,”

“Like what happened last night?”

“W-what are you talking about?” Rip felt himself tense but he knew that he should not have been surprised. He should have known that Carter would have told the others about him. After seeing what he did last night, why would he not tell the others. But he had hoped that they would let it drop when they realized that he was fine. 

“Carter told us what happened,”

“Oh,” Rip didn’t say anything more, waiting for Martin to ask him about it some more but no questions came. He waited and the silence stretched out enough that he got nervous enough that he just had to know. “Aren’t you going to ask about it?”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Rip thought that maybe, just maybe he could share just a bit with the older man but he shook off that thought. He winced at the thought of what the man would think if he knew the truth. He wanted to share but he just wasn’t ready yet. “Not really,”

“Then we don’t have to,”

He blinked at those words. He thought that maybe he had misheard and he wanted to ask him to repeat what he had said. He had expected him to be like Carter, asking questions and refusing to let it go. “What? Really?”

Martin smiled at him. “Really. If you do not feel comfortable talking about it, then you don’t have to. I won’t force you to. None of us will force you to talk about it if you do not want to,”

“Oh,” Rip didn’t know what else to say to that. He had expected a barrage of questions but Martin seemed happy just being here with him. He felt oddly happy with the thought that Martin wasn’t going to force Rip to tell him. But just because the older physicist was not going to question him that didn’t mean that the others would not. “So...do the others know...”

“Yes.” 

“Right, of course.” He could only imagine what the others would say to him when they cornered him. 

“Listen Rip. I know that you don’t want to talk about it and you need to know that it is _okay_. We understand that you don’t want to share every part of yourself with us, just like we don’t share everything with you,” Martin sighed, clasping his hands together. He had a gentle look in his eyes and for some reason, Rip felt calmer because of it. Even though the older man could be just as dangerous as the others, Rip felt safe with him. He felt more at ease with Martin. “So you don’t need to do anything just because you feel like you should share with us. If you are not comfortable doing it, then don’t,”

This didn’t make much sense. From what he knew of this team, and what has happened between him and them, he had a feeling that it wasn’t that simple. “But aren’t you guys curious?”

Martin laughed softly. “Of course we are curious, but if you don’t want to tell us then we won’t force you. Our curiosity is not worth making you upset,”

Rip snorted in dry amusement. He placed the duster on the counter and moved over to sit beside the rabbit. “To you maybe. I don’t know about the others,”

Martin studied him for a moment before sighing. It seemed like Rip was missing something but he couldn’t quite place it. “They understand that you feel like you can’t tell us, and they know that the best way to get to know you is to go at your pace,”

“My pace? I don’t think that my pace is fast enough for them,”

Martin shrugged, as if it was no big deal to him. Rip couldn’t understand why he was so calm about this. He had hurt one of the team. He should be a little upset. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll wait for you, no matter how long it takes,”

“But why?” He couldn’t understand this man. Any other person would push, pry or force him to tell but Martin looked like he was perfectly fine letting it go.

Martin took a moment, obviously sorting through his thoughts. If it was anyone else, he would have thought that they were trying to think up a lie to tell him but Martin never was a good liar. Plus, with them sharing, he didn’t think that Martin would lie to him. Not when he was obviously trying to get closer to him.

“I think the reasons are all different for everyone. I can not speak for other people but to me, you are one of the most fascinating people that I have had the pleasure to meet,”

“What? Why?” Rip was starting to feel like a broken record, constantly asking why. But he needed to know why his team was trying to get close to a wreck like him. It was true that he was getting better but he knew that it wasn’t going to be either a fast or easy process. He was still healing and he had a feeling it would take longer then they would have the patience for. How long would they wait for him? 

“Oh where to start?” Martin actually seemed amused by his question. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his lap. “Well, for starters you are a genius of astounding levels,”

Rip laughed a bit self consciously. He knew that he was smart but he wouldn’t say he was a genius. If he was a genius, then he would have been able to find a way to control his power, or find a way to connect with his team without feeling bad about himself.

“Oh don’t give me that,” Martin grinned, the look on his face clearly saying that he didn’t believe Rip. “I came upon some of your old note books while I was...exploring and the work inside blew my mind. Some things even I could not understand. I could sit down and just read them for hours.”

Rip frowned, trying to remember what notebooks Martin was talking about. When he was younger, after the Time Master had taken him in, when life became too stressful he would sit down in a quiet place and just write down any and all ideas that came to him. Some of them were absolutely ridiculous, like his idea of what would happen if you mixed an old robot dog with a state of the art surveillance drone. Some of them were just ideas that he didn’t feel like expanding on. He kept the many notebooks, even when he went to the academy. After he became the captain of the Waverider, this habit started to die down becoming a lesser part of his life. They ended up being stuffed into a storage room. He has never shown them to anyone and he was kind of surprised that someone had found them. He wasn’t embarrassed by them or anything like that but he didn’t think that any of it would be considered ‘genius’.

When he saw that Rip wasn’t going to say anything on that, Martin moved on. “The second thing that caught my eye with you is your compassion for other people. When any of our team is hurt, either physically or emotionally, you are there to comfort us. When we went into the past and I had been too ignorant to follow your advice, I changed the past so drastically that I ended up not meeting my wife. You risked the timeline to fix my mistake because you cared about how I felt. You care so much about other people that you forget to care for yourself.”

“That’s not...” Rip didn’t know what he was trying to say. He has never been able to see the good that other people saw in him. 

“You have so many good qualities that I could write a book on it but I think that you have enough to think about right now.” Martin looked around the room, his lips twitching as he tried not to smile. “And it looks like you have quite a mess to clean up. Are you sure that you don’t need any help?”

Rip laughed and shrugged. “I think that I could go for some help.”

“Alright then,” Martin clapped his hand and climbed to his feet. “Shall we divide and conquer?”

“I think it would only make sense,” He handed the older man a duster and grabbed a broom.

They continued to talk as they cleaned the room, but nothing as serious as their previous conversation. What Martin liked to do when he got bored, what Rip liked to eat when he got cravings, that sort of thing. Martin had told him about some of his unfortunate science mishaps, which had Rip laughing like crazy. In turn, Rip told him about some of his rather horrible missions. Rip didn’t realize just how much fun he was having with Martin until he was hunched over laughing when Martin had gotten a face full of flour after trying to dust the higher shelves. 

“It’s not funny,” Martin grumbled, wiping his face. He ran his fingers though his hair and wrinkled his nose at the amount of flour that came off. “It’s not coming out,”

“Here, let me get it,” Rip chuckled as he moved so that he could brush some of the powder out of the mans hair. It didn’t seem to want to come out and Rip had to step closer so that he could make sure that he would get most of it out. He would hate to have to make the man take another shower after he just had one. He grabbed a wet cloth so that it would be easier for him to get the remaining flour. He tried to keep a straight face as he wiped the flour from his hair. He paused when he came to his rabbit ears, not knowing whether or not he would be allowed to touch them. Certain people hated when other people touched their ears or their tails. But he didn’t get any repercussions from Martin so he began to clean the soft white fur as gently as he could. He was actually amazed at how soft they were and he knew that if Martin would allow him, he could spend hours just petting the soft fur. 

A quiet noise made him pause and he thought for a second that he had hurt the man. Though one look at his face told him that wasn’t the case. Martin was looking away from him at the opposite wall, a faint red covering his cheeks. Rip narrowed his eyes and ran the cloth over his ears again. This time, he did catch the little noise that he made. It was a soft, huffing noise that he has only heard from rabbits in the wild. Rip didn’t know what to do. A part of him was telling him that he should stop but an even bigger part of him was telling him to to see what other noises he would make when he played with his ears. He was a gentleman though so he knew that he could not just continue without permission.

“Do you want me to stop?”

Martin’s blush grew but he didn’t refuse as Rip had expected him to. Instead, he shook his head and motioned for him to continue. Rip would never have guessed that Martin could be this shy. He wondered how much he could learn right now about the white haired physicist. He began cleaning the ears again, though it was more about getting Martin to make those sounds again. He couldn’t help smiling happily when he managed to do so. He didn’t know why it made him happy but he wasn’t going to question it.

“Do I want to know what’s going on?”

Rip looked up from his work and saw Jax standing in the doorway. Rip paused in his work again, this time a bit embarrassed. It’s not everyday that you get caught grooming one of your team members. “He had flour in his hair and couldn’t get it out. I was just helping him,”

“Uh huh,” Jax looked strangely amused. “So you weren’t petting him to have him make the funny little sounds he makes when you pet his ears?”

“Wha-? Of course not,” Now he was just as embarrassed as Martin. “Why would I do such a thing to a team mate?”

“You don’t need to worry about it. I do it all the time to make him agree with me. He likes being petted like a true rabbit.” Jax smiled at the both of them. Martin grumbled unhappily, his face a bright red but he didn’t deny what his partner had said.

“I just didn’t know that he...” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence without sounding like a creep. This made him feel like he had to explain himself. “I have always been interested in the little things that people’s Animalis have. I have met a lot of people with a variety of species. Each one is different in some way and I am always curious about what makes them different.”

“Then maybe you should check out Jefferson’s spots.” Martin smirked at Jax, who’s smirk dropped into a little worried look.

“Spots?” Rip looked at Jax but he couldn’t see any spots.

“Yeah, they look like freckles from a distance but you can see them up close,” He waved to the younger man. “Come here Jefferson,”

“Aw man, do I have to?” The younger man whined.

“He knows about my ears, which I must say is more embarrassing then your spots.” Martin sniffed, his blush just starting to fade. “He’s embarrassed about his spots even though I tell him that there is no need to be embarrassed.”

“You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to,” Rip said quickly. He didn’t want to push Jax into something he didn’t feel comfortable with. “I mean, I won’t force you to show me,”

Jax stared at him for a moment and Rip had a strange feeling that he was being studied. Jax shrugged after a few minutes. “Fine, just don’t laugh,”

“Never,” Rip promised. He would never laugh at his team mates. He knew what it was like to be judged based on appearances and he would never put his team through that. They didn’t deserve something like that.

Jax sighed and moved over to where they stood. The overhead light gave Rip a good look at what Martin had told him about. He could help but stare in awe what he saw. Dark brown spots ran across the man’s cheeks and down his neck, disappearing under the collar of his shirt. He wondered how far they reached and had the urge to look for they were gorgeous. He could see why they would get seen as freckles. They were tiny and you had to be close to notice them but they still had the same cheetah pattern. The closer he looked though, he saw that they ranged in different browns, light and dark and they contrasted so well.

“They’re beautiful,” He murmured and he could stop himself from running a finger over the spots on the younger mans cheek.

Jax coughed lightly and turned away. “Uh, thanks I guess?”

Rip dropped his hand as if burned. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,”

Jax huffed and shook his head. There was a hint of a smile on his lips. “You didn’t. I just wasn’t expecting this reaction. Not many people would call them...beautiful. Only my mom ever did,”

“Oh,” Now, Rip understood why he reacted the way he did. To be told only by one person that you are beautiful, it could make someone self conscious. “Well, now you have me. And I have seen so many people that I know what beautiful looks like. So you have to believe me,”

“Oh? I have to believe you?” Jax’s had taken on a teasing tone, and he raised an eyebrow. “Because you are Captain I have to believe you?”

“I-I didn’t mean it like that,” Rip didn’t want to offend the younger man but he was kind of confused at what was going on. His tone was suggesting that he was joking but his words were portraying seriousness. He didn’t know which one to go with so he decided to take the safer route. There was no need to make the younger man angry with him if he decided to joke around with him when he was serious.

“Don’t scare the poor man,” Martin chuckled when he got a look at Rips expression.

“Sorry man, I didn’t mean to,” Jax grinned, which caused Rip to get even more confused. His eyes flicked between the two of them, gauging their reactions. This seemed to cause the young engineer to start laughing. 

“You didn’t scare me,” Rip frowned at the both of them, trying to figure out what the hell was going on and how they even got to this point. “Why are you laughing? What’s so funny?”

Jax took a breath to calm himself and shook his head. “Aw man, you have no idea how to read people do you?”

“I’m actually pretty good at it,” Rip said defensively. He knew how to read people. He needed to know how if he wanted to survive being a Time Master though it seemed like his judgment was a bit off. He blamed it on his team. Before them, he had no one that affected his emotions which could mess with him, besides his family. Though they were always in another time, another place Now, he had a crazy group of people on his ship that are constantly surprising him, throwing all of his knowledge of how people work into the trash. Along with the fact that his Kitsune was easier to access because of his lack of serum in his system and it was messing with his perception. Though, as he thought on it, it seemed like he was just blaming other things on it. He mentally shook himself. This was not the time to play the blame game. He needed to figure out how to deal with the pair in front of him. “You two are just too unpredictable,”

“That’s a good thing though. Then our enemies won’t see us coming,” Jax was still grinning and Rip was starting to think that he was spending too much time with Ray.

“And it keeps you on your toes,” Martin piped in. He had gone back to sweeping up some flour. Rip had forgotten why they were in here and he glanced around. The room was almost clean but he could tell that it would still take some effort to get the flour out of the tricky spots. Rip sighed and picked up his duster. Now that Jax was here, maybe they could get this done quicker. He did refuse their help at the beginning but he had needed the time to think. Now that he has had that time, he was looking forward to having some help.

Rip pointed his duster at Martin. “I am already, as you say, ‘on my toes’ trying to keep up with you lot. It’s impossible to get any of you to follow any kind of directions,”

“Hey, we _try_ to follow your directions but sometimes things just happen,” Jax shrugged, grabbing a broom that Rip had abandoned either. Rip hadn’t needed to ask him and yet he was helping. He was grateful that some of this actually helped without being ordered. 

“Right,” Rip drew the word out slowly. It was obvious to him and the other two men in the room that he didn’t believe that. “Like when we were at the pentagon and I told you to get out of there, what did you do?”

Jax paused in his work, thinking. He laughed lightly when he remembered. “We went through the roof,”

Rip shook his head in exasperation. Why did he care so much for this crazy kid? “When I had meant use the door so that you don’t gain so much attention,”

Jax snorted in amusement. “Like a man on fire walking out the door would not attract attention,”

He decided to ignore that quip, instead shaking his head. He was glad that the seriousness that he had thought was there, was gone replaced with a lighter, happier mood. “You destroyed the place,”

“By accident,”

“Why is everything this team does an accident?” Rip mumbled to himself.

“What has this team done that they said was an accident?”

“Like Martins _accidental_ deconstruction of my med bay equipment. Mr. Snart’s _accidental_ theft of an important emerald, Ms. Lance’s _accidental_ maiming of team members during training, or how about Mr. Rory’s _accidental_ fire in the cargo bay?” Rip paused, crossing his arms and trying to look stern but the smile he was trying to keep off his face was betraying him. He knew that some of these were accidents, but he did enjoy the sheepish looks that the two were sporting. “Would you like some more incidents? I have so many,”

“Okay, okay we get it. We’re all horrible people,”

“Now, I didn’t say that,” Rip protested but saw the smile on his face. He sighed. “I am never going to understand your sense of humor,”

“Maybe you should spend some more time with me then. You’ll be able to appreciate it better that way,”

Rip paused in his work. He knew that he should answer immediately so that Jax didn’t feel like he didn’t want to but the thought of getting closer to his team was both exciting and terrifying. He wanted to get to know them better but the fear was still there. He may be in a better state of mind right now, but it didn’t mean he was ready to jump into a situation he was so scared of before. But he wouldn’t get anywhere if he was afraid to do it. “Maybe I should,”

Jax actually looked surprised at his answer and he smiled happily. “Awesome!”

“Maybe we can later, though for now we can spend time together finish cleaning this mess.” Martin jumped in, giving them both an unimpressed look. Rip rolled his eyes at the younger man, and they shared a grin. They would have lots of time later to do whatever it was that Jax had planned. But for now, they had to clean this mess. Everything else could wait.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip finally makes his apology to Carter and yet again, things do not go the way he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so two things today.
> 
> The First is that I was kind of iffy about this chapter because it seems like I'm moving this a bit fast. A few of you have said that this team had grown close pretty fast and I actually spent time thinking of it. It does seem a bit soon to me, especially this scene, but I realized that they were pretty close during the second and third episodes. Even Leonard seemed to care a bit for after Savage had killed Carter, had said something along the lines of "no one kills one of my men and gets away with it," and this was only a few episodes in. So maybe I'm moving a bit fast but oh well. I didn't plan for it to happen like this, it just happened.
> 
> And second thing, I don't know if you guys care but I _really_ dislike the way they ended the season finale. Rip would never leave his ship no matter what. I understand that he needs a vacation of a sorts but to just leave like that...I don't like it. I pray with all my might that he will return for season 3. I might not be able to continue watching it if he is not coming back.
> 
> Anyway, that's the end of my rant. Here is this weeks chapter and I hope you enjoy.

Evening found him locked away in his office, his thoughts racing over the days events. He had planned on having a relaxing day and it had started out that way. After cleaning the kitchen to his satisfaction, he spent some time with Jax, showing him some basic maintenance for the ship. The cheetah was ecstatic to learn something about the ship. Unsurprisingly, Jax understood almost everything he was told. He even suggested a few things that could help improve the overall function of some of the systems. If he had the time, Rip would take him through the entire ship and show him how everything worked. He had a feeling that with a little training, the young mechanic would be one of the best engineers he would come across. He asked all the right questions and added his own thoughts to things. Ray had caught them down by the thruster systems and joined them on their journey through the ship. Ray didn’t have the same kind of intelligence as Jax but he was just as intelligent in his own way. He offered his own opinion on things when he did understand. The two of them ended up bonding over who could come up with the best upgrades for the ship, using Rip as the judge. Rip hadn’t wanted to tell them that their ideas where ridiculous, but what in the world would he do with a hologram room or whatever it was that Ray called it. So instead of choosing one, he called it a tie. The two of them were less upset about his choice then he had imagined they would be.

It was mid day when he finally managed to get some time by himself. While he did enjoy spending time with the younger members of this crew, he needed a break. He wasn’t as young as he used to be and couldn’t keep up with them for more then a few hours. He didn’t have the same endless energy that they had. He was thankful that Martin had intervened and took them away for another science experiment. He hoped that it was one of his harmless ones. He didn’t feel like cleaning up whatever mess they decided to make.

There was one thing that he needed to do though before he retired for the day. He needed to apologize to Carter. He had spent most of the morning trying to figure out exactly how he was going to do it without sounding self pitying. He didn’t want pity. He wanted Carter to acknowledge that he was in the wrong. It took a while to track him down to the library and he was eternally grateful that he was alone. He was facing the shelves, his wings folded against his back, controlled but relaxed. He was thumbing through a book on ancient Egyptian rituals. He didn’t know where he had gotten that particular book just like the rest of his books. He had so many books that it was hard to remember where he had gotten each one. 

Carter noticed his entrance and gave him a soft smile. “Good afternoon. I was just reading up on some stuff. I wasn’t aware that you had these kinds of books, but I am glad. Is there something you need, Captain Hunter?”

Rip coughed, suddenly nervous to speak with the man. All of his preparation had gone out the window and he was left in a near panic state. He took a moment to take a breath and calm his racing heart. “I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.”

Carter nodded, closing the book and placing it back on the shelf. He turned his entire body towards Rip and he became uncomfortably aware that he now had all of the mans attention on himself. “Of course. You do not need to ask to talk to me. You are welcome to come to me whenever you shall need it,”

“Right,” He didn’t know how to respond to that. He was expecting some resistance, maybe even some anger but his face showed nothing of the sorts. He was actually hoping for some anger so that he wouldn’t be the only one upset at himself for hurting him. He had gotten rid of most of the darkness in his mind but that didn’t mean he wasn’t upset. He needed to get it off his chest. “I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior last night. I didn’t get the chance to do so until now so I hope that you can forgive my tardiness in this matter,”

Carters face softened when he realized why he was there. He had a feeling that the hawk had been waiting for this. He didn’t know how to feel about that. He definitely didn’t seem angry with him. In fact, he seemed to be the exact opposite with that. He was calm, though he could see faint traces of sadness in his eyes.

“It’s quite alright, Rip. You caused no harm to me,”

“That’s not true,” Rip stepped forward, angry at his ease of letting this go. He should be upset, if not angry. He had lost control of the one thing that he should always have control over and had hurt the man. “I had hurt you. Don’t deny it,”

Carter studied him for a moment before the realization hit him. “You want me to be angry with you.”

“I just want you to know that what I did was not okay, that I should not have been forgiven so easily just because you believe that I couldn’t control it,” At Carters furrowed brow, Rip rolled his eyes. “Martin told me that you had told the others about what happened.”

The man hummed, his eyes moving over Rips face as if it would reveal something important. “I see. But I have to disagree with your judgment on this case,”

Of course he does, Rip sighed. “Why’s that?”

“Because I know that you feel bad enough for the both of us. There is no need for me to add to your suffering,”

He threw up his hands in frustration. Why must this man be so calm all the time? “But what if it makes me feel better?”

He got a raised eyebrow and a skeptical look for that. “I am not sure I understand. Having people be angry at you makes you feel better? Normally, people feel better when others accept their apology.”

“I just...,” Rip grumble unhappily, pacing back and forth in front of the man. This conversation was raising his stress levels and he wanted nothing more then to escape to his room and hide away. He was just glad that his mind was in a better place or else he would have lost control again and he might have done worse this time. “I just want to know that you realize that this incident is serious. That you people should not accept an apology so easily,”

“I understand that you think I should be upset with you because of this but I need you to understand that I am not. I’m not angry, upset or anything of that sort. I’m fine.”

“Yes, but what if you weren’t? Hmm? What would you do if I had seriously hurt you,” The more he talked, the more animated he got. The idea that he could have hurt Carter more than he had, made him even more on edge. He stopped pacing to close his eyes and focus on his breathing to calm himself down. His idea of a calm day was long gone and he wondered if this was his life now. Constantly on edge, worrying about whether or not he’ll be able to remain in control of his urges. A sound of movement made him raise his eyes back to the other man.

Carter sighed and crossed his arms, leaning against the shelf. “Do you know what happened the first time that Kendra went Berserk after the meteorite?”

He had no idea where he was going with this question but if it was steering away from the conversation, he would take it. “No, I don’t know. I also don’t know what this has to do with anything.”

“We were in Cairo, we had just found each other again when we reincarnated the first time. We had no idea what was going on but the world was on the repair from the change that the meteorite had brought. Our own powers started to manifest, and we had even less control then others. Kendra had it worse. Since she was the object of Savage’s rage, she got the brunt of the stress.” He looked pained for a moment and Rip remembered that the two of them had been together for thousands of years. He couldn’t think of what it must have been like, going through many lifetimes being hunted by a psychotic killer like Savage. “We dealt the best we could but soon it became too much for her to handle and she fell into a Berserk.”

Rip remembered his first Berserk and he shuddered. He couldn’t imagine going through it without previous knowledge of it. But to go through it when the world was just getting used to the new change, where people would have been hesitant to trust anyone. It must have been hell for the both of them. “What happened?”

Carter was silent for a moment as if considering whether or not he could handle the truth. For a moment, Rip wondered if he was in the wrong for asking him to tell the story. “She didn’t hurt any innocent people but she tried. She slashed me up pretty good when I intervened. It left my right arm paralyzed and numbness in my right leg. I could barely do anything, especially when Savage came for us. We died quick because I couldn’t protect her. She spent the next few lifetimes apologizing for it,”

He winced at that. He couldn’t imagine what that was like. To be unable to protect yourself from the person who had already killed you once before. But for it to be the cause of one you love the most...“How long did it take for you to forgive her?”

Carter smiled, and Rip could see both the pain and the love in his eyes. “That’s the thing. I forgave her the moment it happened.”

He frowned at that. He knew that people in love easily forgave each other because they had some silly notion of love but this was something else. “But how? How can you forgive someone who hurt you bad enough that you both lost your lives?”

“Because I love her more than anything else in the world. I would give my life for her as many times as it took to keep her safe.” Carter said this with so much conviction that Rip had no doubt that he was telling the truth. He knew what this felt like for he felt this once before. He would have given his life for Miranda and Jonas many times over just for them to live.

“I guess I understand that but what I don’t understand is how you so easily forgive me. You don’t love me,”

“You’re right.” Rip couldn’t stop the sharp pain that went through him at that admission though he couldn’t understand why. It wasn’t like he had expected this man, or any of his team, to care that much about him. “My love for her can not match any others but that does not mean I can not love another. My love for Chay- Ara is different than my love for you. I do care for you, even if you can not see it. We have not had the chance to get close but I do feel a connection. I feel a connection with everyone on this ship.”

The pressure in his chest grew, changing from pain to a heavy weight. He couldn’t really understand what his feelings were doing at the moment but he would really like to know how his team kept getting him into these moods. He knew that his team may _care_ about him a little but he knew that they wouldn’t care enough to forgive him for hurting one of their own.

But is seems like his ideas were once again smashed when Carter spoke, a gentle look in his eyes. “So trust me when I say, I forgive you. And it is okay. I’m not mad nor has this affected my view of you. It would take a lot more than that to change my thoughts on you.” 

Rip couldn’t stop the sound that came out of him. It was a mix between a huff and a sob. He was feeling too much right now and he didn’t know what to blame it on. It seemed like everything in the past few years have been building up and this was just the time that it all came out. He pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes to suppress the sounds. He didn’t want to embarrass himself anymore than he already has. He couldn’t imagine what Carter must be thinking about him right now. He must be thinking that he couldn’t keep his emotions in check at all.

“It’s okay, Rip.” Carters voice grounded him, kept him from sinking back into his emotions. He lowered his hands and looked up at Carter. He had expected him to look uncomfortable, or even unbothered by his emotional display but he looked rather upset. He had his hands out, as if he wanted to comfort him but it just made him feel worse. In the past, he would have never allowed himself to fall this far from control. In the past, not one has seen him fall apart like this. It seems like this team was tearing apart everything he used to be, everything he hid from the world coming to the surface. He didn’t exactly like the person he used to be but it was better than this broken mess.

He forced down his emotions, straightened up and tried to appear as if he just didn’t have a breakdown. He could feel his emotions on the edge of his mind and he knew that if he didn’t get out now, he would break down again. He didn’t know if he would be able to handle the embarrassment if that happened again. “I’m sorry again for what happened. Now if you excuse me, I am needed in my office,”

He turned and moved away, trying to get out as quickly as possible. He barely heard Carter call after him but he did hear the man come after him. He flinched when Carter grabbed his arm, expecting to be hit but instead he was pulled into a warm embrace. He tense when strong arms wrapped around his shoulders in a hug, the tawny brown wings encircling them both in a warm embrace. He didn’t know what was going on, his mind telling him that he should run, push himself out of the warmth and just run. But he couldn’t move. He body was frozen as he tried to comprehend what was happening right now. Carter’s held him close, but not too tightly. His voice was soothing as he spoke, the words reassuring and it took a moment for Rip to realize what it was he was saying.

“It’s okay, Rip. You don’t need to hide anymore. You never need to hide again. And I don’t blame you for what happened. I forgive you. I forgive you.”

Over and over, the same things were repeated to him and he just couldn’t hold it in anymore. He wrapped his arms around the mans waist. He relaxed as his walls came down and he couldn’t stop himself from crying. It’s been so long since he has allowed himself to cry like this. While employed by the Time Masters, he had refrained from showing any kind of emotions for he was reprimanded if he did. With his family, he could be himself a little more but he never felt quite...safe knowing that he could hurt them. Whenever he had been this close to losing control, he had forced it down with either sheer will or with the serum. Now, as he was wrapped up in the safety of Carters arms, he could finally let go. Everything that he has held in the past was brought to the front and for some reason, it made him feel better to cry than to hold it all in. 

“I’m sorry,” Carter murmured as he rubbed Rip’s back. “I should not have let you go last time. I should have helped you through it, helped you understand my feelings. But I had believed that it would be unwelcome. I should have realized that it was a bad decision on my part. It’s a mistake that I will never make again. To lock yourself away, lock away your feelings is never a good thing to do. Pushing it down will only lead to more pain.”

 

“I – I don’t...” He tried to speak but it was hard, having his breaths coming in gasps. 

“Shh, it’s alright. You have never had anyone that you could depend on for something like this have you?”

Rip shook his head knowing he wouldn’t be able to verbalize his answer without breaking down into tears again.

“I didn’t think so,” This seemed to make the man even more upset for he held the smaller man even tighter. “But it won’t happen again. We are here for you, whether you like it or not. You can try to distance yourself and push us away but we will always be here for you,”

“Even for a mess like me?” He seemed to have calmed down enough that he could speak without stuttering. He felt like he should pull away from the man, but the warmth and safety that he felt caused him to stay.

Carter growled low, unhappy with that question. He stepped back and Rip panicked that maybe he had said the wrong thing. Carter gripped his upper arms and looked him in the eye. “Rip, believe me on this, you are _not_ a mess.”

Rip laughed bitterly. “Then why can’t I do anything properly? Why do I always seem to lose control recently?”

The man sighed, as if he was arguing with a child. “Everyone has trouble every now and then. All you have to know is that you do not have to suffer through this on your own,”

“Yeah well, my troubles are probably a lot more serious then you are used to,” He shrugged out of the other mans arms, wiping at his own face to remove the evidence that he had just cried on his team mate.

Carter scoffed at that. “So what? It won’t just be me helping you, it will be this entire team. You are not alone anymore Rip Hunter, and you never will be alone again. I can promise you that,”

Some parts in his mind wanted to argue with him, like how can he promise something like that without knowing if he can keep it? Deep in his heart, though, he knew that Carter would keep his promise even if he lost his life to keep it. He guessed that he would have to wait and see which one was right.

“I guess,” He didn’t know what else to say to the man. He seemed to take everything he said as a negative comment, and make this even more embarrassing for him. If he was honest though, everything that he has said in the last few minutes has been a bit negative. He could understand why Carter was concerned about him but he was still embarrassed at how this whole conversation turned out. He had only wanted to apologize to the man and had ended up crying on his shoulder. Never has he ever been like this and he blamed Carter for it. But it seemed like instead of becoming unstable like he had thought, having Carter here seemed to ground him a bit more. 

Carter sighed once again, and Rip was beginning to think that it seemed to be his constant state of mind when dealing with the Captain. “Listen, Rip. I can’t imagine what you have been through in you life but I do know that when you brought this team onto your ship, you changed everyone’s lives for the better. Something is preventing you from seeing it. I assure you though, that I will not abandon you nor will I stop until you can see the positive effect you have had on all of us,”

“I -”

The door banged open, causing him to jump. Carter just raised an eyebrow at the two trouble makers that had burst into the room. Both Jax and Ray took notice of them and looked a bit guilty.

“Ah, sorry man. Didn’t know that you guys were in here,” Jax smiled at the both of them, his eyes flicking between them. He seemed to realize what was going on and he nudged Ray. “Sorry, we’ll leave,”

“It’s alright. We were done anyway and I can see that you are here for our captain,” Carter gave Rip a pat on the shoulder. “Try to remember what we talked about, alright?”

Rip nodded, his mind not quite calm yet. Carter was an enigma to him and he couldn’t quite figure him out. A tough warrior like him had taken the time to connect with feelings with someone other then his soulmate. He didn’t quite understand why he would do so much for someone that he had just met but he was starting to understand that he wasn’t as alone as he had first thought.

“Rip?”

“Sorry. You were here for me, right?” Rip turned to the two men, shaking off the depressing thoughts that had infected him mind. “What can I help you gentlemen with?”

Ray rubbed the back of his head, his eyes looking everywhere but him. “Well, there was this thing with the water purifier...”

Rip sighed, but he couldn’t stop his smile. “Lead the way,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I have to admit I don't know anything about the Waverrider mechanics, time travel specifics, or about the details of Carter and Kendra's past. So don't be too upset if I may have gotten something wrong.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip struggles with planning their next move and gets some advice from an unlikely source.

“There must be something, Gideon,” 

“I’m sorry Captain, but I have looked. There is nothing new on Vandal Savage in the timeline.”

Rip sighed in frustration and threw the papers he had in his hands onto his desk. It had been days since the incident in the kitchen and his talk with Carter. He had no idea where they were going now. He had no leads, no direction and he was on the verge of giving up. It’s been a while since he’s been stuck like this, though this felt like when he was just starting out as a Time Master and hadn’t prepared well enough for the mission. He was just lucky he had a team with him or he would surely be dead. After that horrible first mission, he learned to research thoroughly for any future missions. He would hate to go to the team and tell them that he had nothing. 

They had been a bit weird over the last few days. Rip had thought that at least one of them would be upset at him for what had happened with Carter but none of them mentioned it. At all. They didn’t even give a hint that they knew anything had happened. Rip knew that they knew what had happened so why have none of them questioned him on it? He had sorted things out with Carter, but he was sure that some of them would still be upset at him. Maybe Carter had told them about what had happened between them in the library and that was why none of them had come to him with questions. The rest of the team went through their days as if nothing had happened. They’ve been around him long enough to ask, for someone was always with him. Usually it was Ray or Kendra but he would often be joined in his office by Sara or Jax and Martin. 

Right now though, he was thankfully alone. He needed silence to think and he knew that he wouldn’t get that with his team around. He liked having them around recently, but sometimes he just needed time for himself so that he could think. And work, though it didn’t seem like he was doing much of that either. With Gideon searching the timeline and him searching Boardman’s journal and any other history books, he had believed that he would find Savage easily enough. But nothing. Not even a possible lead. He sighed in frustration again, though this time he was getting angry. How could someone so powerful just disappear?

“Something wrong, Captain?”

Rip almost sighed again at the sound of Leonards voice. He knew that this was coming for the man hadn’t said much to him in the past few days. He knew the man was waiting until he was alone to ambush him. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to lie to this man easily. This was the one person he had a hard time fooling. And he felt like he was already in enough trouble with man from their confrontation in the med bay. So he decided that it would be best to just tell the truth. Well, some truth. Plus, Leonard was a master thief so he must have some advice.

“Neither Gideon nor I can find anything on Savage. We’ve hit a dead end.”

Leonard hummed as he looked over the data. He raised an eyebrow but Rip knew that he didn’t understand most of it. He didn’t let it bother him though and turned to Rip with an unimpressed look.

“Take a break then. Clear your head.” He said as if it would be so easy.

Rip laughed bitterly. “I don’t have the time to take a break. I need to find Savage so we can kill him,”

“You keep pushing yourself as if you expect that it’s going to get easier. It won’t. The longer you go without breaks, the more strain it is on your body and your mind,”

Rip shook his head. The idea of taking a break because he was tired was unthinkable. It wasn’t like he hasn’t gone days without sleep for the sake of a mission. This was no different. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time. He needed to find Savage so that he could see Miranda and Jonas again. He moved back over to his desk and rummaged around in the papers. “What would you know about that?”

“Well, I _am_ a thief. I plan thefts very thoroughly sometimes for weeks before I make my move,”

“Unless you haven’t noticed, this isn’t a theft,” He found the paper he was looking for, giving a little ‘ah hah’.

“No, but it takes the same kind of planning. Find the right target, plan the entry and exit strategies, and planning exactly how you are going to get your prize. Also planning for any changes in the extraction.” The snow leopard stalked over to his desk and leaned against the side. Does the man ever just walk normally? He always seemed to have the need to act like he was a predator on the hunt. Rip had to admit though, that he fit that description very well. His sharp blue eyes tracked every movement around him and it seemed like nothing escaped his scrutiny.

Shaking his head to clear his head of those thoughts, Rip couldn’t help but admit that the man was right. It was very similar to a theft but he wasn’t going to tell Leonard that. He would let it go to his head. “But how do you plan if you have no idea where your target is heading or where it’s been?”

The leopards lips twitched as if he was about to smile but he shrugged instead. “Don’t look for it then,”

“What?” Okay, now he was confused. He was following his idea, but he was lost now.

“Don’t look for your target. Look for things that your target has affected. People, and places that your target could have come in contact with. Find them and you find your target,”

“That...actually makes sense,” Rip mumbled turning immediately back to the screens. If he looked for anything out of the ordinary, anything that a normal human should not be able to do, he might be able to find him. “If I could adjust this...then maybe I could...hmm,”

“You’re welcome,” The man drawled, a bit sarcastically.

Rip looked up from his work. He had almost gotten so into his work that he forgot that Leonard was still there. “Oh, yes, right. Thank you Mr. Snart,”

The man paused as if waiting for something. When he spoke again, he seemed more relaxed. “It’s Len to my friends,”

Rip raised an eyebrow at the man. This conversation was going in a whole different direction then he had imagined. “I wasn’t aware that I was your friend. You seem to have the opposite thought on me.”

This time, Leonard did smile. It was small, and if anyone else had seen it, it would look like a grimace but Rip could tell what it really was. “You may not be my favourite person, but you are hardly one I dislike.”

“Geez, thank you. I take that’s a compliment from you,” Rip said, trying to decipher what was going on in the man’s head. He would probably have more luck trying to read a robot then read Leonard.

“It is. I don’t take kindly to most people. You, along with the rest of the people on this ship, are exceptions to that,”

Rip hadn’t expected to be counted in his exceptions. He knew that he cared about some of this team, like Mick and Sara but for him to care about all of them? It was kind of odd for the thief. “Why is that, though? You said yourself that you don’t like people so what makes us so different?”

Leonard gazed at him and Rip could see that he was actually thinking about his answer. Normally, the snow leopard had all the answers on the tip of his tongue. Now it seemed like Rip had actually managed to surprise him.

Though it seemed like Leonard wasn’t going to give up the answer that easily. “What makes you think that there is a reason? Maybe it’s just because I’m stuck on this tin can with this group and know that many of them could kick my ass if they so please.”

Rip chuckled at that. That was definitely true. Most of this team is dangerous, even without weapons or powers. But it still didn’t explain his reasons. When you are stuck in an enclosed space with people, you don’t have to like them to work together. Leonard had stated that he did like this team, even if he didn’t show it. Maybe he was embarrassed to even admit that he liked them. After all, the thief wasn’t good with emotions. 

“That can not be the whole truth.” Rip tried to pry but it would have been easier to pry open a heavily protected vault.

Leonard hummed. The man walked around the desk, his fingers running over the items on the surface. He paused on a bottle of whiskey before deciding to pour himself a glass. Normally, Rip would have been upset that he had left it out but he didn’t care much at this point. He took a glass when Leonard offered him one. “It’s about as much of the truth as you tell,”

He frowned at the other man. He felt like he was missing something, but he always felt that way when talking to the leopard. The man had a way of running him in circles. “What do you mean?”

“I think you know what I mean. What we discussed in the Med Bay after Russia.” Leonard seemed to think that they were going to have an actual conversation about this for he sat down in on of the chairs placed around the room. 

Rips mind went to their confrontation that the man was thinking about and he had to suppress a wince. Their conversation about his secret. A secret that he had wanted to share but had felt scared. It was amazing that this was only a week ago and he was already feeling like he could share something with his team. “Oh yeah. Your belief that I was hiding something,”

“You were but it just wasn’t what I was expecting,”

“And what is it that you were expecting?” He sat down in a chair opposite from the man. He knew that he couldn’t escape this conversation. Though as he thought on it he felt like he didn’t mind. Leonard was the one on this team who thought with logic, not feelings. He felt like he could talk to the man about this without being judged. Too harshly anyway.

“I don’t know but I was expecting much worse than what it was,”

What was he expecting? Something much worse then what it was? Rip had a lifetime to try and think of how it could be worse, always thinking ‘it could be worse’ and he hadn’t come up many things. He would hate to know what Leonard had thought it was. The one thing he did want to know, was exactly how much he knew. Martin had said that Carter told the rest of them what happened but that didn’t mean he knew a lot. “And what exactly do you know about what it really is?”

Leonard studied him again but Rip had a feeling he was doing it on purpose just to make him uncomfortable. It seemed like the man liked to see him squirm under his scrutiny. Finally, he seemed to take mercy on him. “That you are scared of yourself, of your Mythical type Animalis,”

Rip sucked in a breath at that. He thought he was going to say something about his temper, or about his violent tendencies. This is not what he was expecting. He didn’t know how they man had figured it out but it scared him. How would he react if he found out about him, what he could do? He has known people that have attacked him just because of what he was. He has lost control a few times in his life but aside from the first time and the most recent time, he hasn’t killed anyone. He didn’t say exactly what he was but that didn’t mean he wasn’t aware. It would be better to take this slowly. “You figured it out?”

Leonard huffed in amusement, seeing right through his reaction. “No, Carter did but I think I can see it now,”

Of course. That would make more sense. Carter had seen him when he had lost control and although he didn’t show much, it wouldn’t be hard to make an assumption. The release of magical pressure would have given it away. Though he was curious as to what Leonard could see. “See what?”

“How you act, how you react. It makes sense that you would be that type. It reminds me of Mick,”

Rip raised an eyebrow. “How is it that I remind you of a fire breathing dragon? Because if you are thinking I’m a dragon, you’d be wrong,”

Leonard outright chuckled at that. It was odd that this conversation was making the man open up to him. “No, I know you’re not a dragon. You don’t have the right temperament for one. But most Mythical types have the same kind of mentality and inclination to similar things.”

“And you know enough Mythical types to make that judgment?”

He swirled the golden liquid around his glass. “I’ve met quite a few. I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner,”

“And now that you have?” Rip felt the need to ask. He didn’t want this man digging into his past and who he was for he knew that he would find something to use against him. From his earlier point, he knew that the man cared for him in his own strange way, but that didn’t mean the man would just let it go. He knew him too well to make that assumption.

“What?” Leonard seemed confused for a moment then the realization happened. “Ah, you want to know if I’ll keep digging. You don’t have to worry. I won’t. The answer I got is satisfactory. For now.”

Rip raised an eyebrow at that but he couldn’t say he was surprised. Leonard was not one to give up so easily. He knew that there would be conditions. “For now?”

“I can wait until you get more comfortable with this team and feel like you want to share. Until then, I won’t push too much.”

“That’s good to know,”

Leonard leaned forward in his chair, his eyes hard and his mouth pressed into a tight line. Rip could tell that he was extremely serious. “But you should know this. If this harms, or even threatens the safety of this team again, I will not hesitate to put you down,”

“And I’ll let you.” Rip just barely prevented himself from slumping down in his chair. He was still upset at himself for hurting Carter even though the man had forgiven him and he knew that if he ever hurt another team member, he would do it himself. He wouldn’t be able to handle to guilt of hurting another person he cared for.

Leonard nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. He leaned back in his chair and took another drink. Rip was kind of surprised. He couldn’t believe that this persistent man was just letting it go. He figured that something like this would make the man even more insistent. 

“What’s going on in here?” A deep voice rumbled from the doorway. 

Rip looked up to see Mick standing in the doorway. “Mr. Rory, what brings you here?”

“I was looking for Lenny.” Without waiting for an invitation, Mick entered the room and grabbed the bottle of whiskey. “Is this where you keep the good stuff? All I could find was beer,”

“I keep it here because it’s very expensive” Rip winced as Mick took a swing right out of the bottle. He wanted to say something to the dragon but he had a feeling he would be ignored. That bottle wasn’t one of his best but he hated to see it disappear. He should be seeing it as a good thing for it took away his temptation. He wouldn’t have anything to drown his sorrows in when he got into a depressive episode. He used to do that whenever he felt that the weight on his shoulders was becoming too much for him to handle. This habit had abated when he had started dating Miranda for it seemed to get easier when she was around. After...after Savage, he had fallen into the bottle worse then ever and it wasn’t until Gideon had shut him off from his stash did he manage to get better. There were times where he wanted to just forget but he had refrained from it. He had pushed himself onto the path of revenge and it has been keeping his mind off of it.

“You drunk already?”

Mick’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He hummed softly, looking over at the pair of thieves. Both of them were staring at him and he shifted uncomfortably. “My apologies. I got caught up in my thoughts,”

“What? We not interestin’ enough for you?” Mick said it as if it bothered him, but the amusement in his eyes ruined the effect.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that my conversation with Mr. Snart here has given me somethings to think on,”

“Yeah, he does that. He likes to use long sentences and big words to confuse people.” Mick placed himself in a chair between the two of them. “So what were you talking about that made English here disappear into his mind?”

Rip opened his mouth to speak but it seemed like Leonard already had a plan. “We were talking about how you two are quite alike,”

“We mentioned it _briefly_ ,” It wasn’t like he disliked being compared to the dragon, but this subject could veer into a direction he didn’t like. 

“Oh yeah?” The grin on the mans face showed off the razor sharp teeth and Rip suppressed a shiver. That look practically screamed powerful predator. Though he would have to say that the mans entire look gave the impression of power. Everything from his twenty foot wings span, right down to the tiny red scales that ran down his nose, and around his amber eyes. He hadn’t noticed much about any of his team members so he wasn’t surprised that he has missed the little things about Mick. His thoughts went briefly to what little things the others may have and he found himself extremely curious to know.

“Yeah. Surprisingly enough, you two have more in common than you think,” He seemed to be laughing at the two of them and Rip wondered what he was playing at. Was he trying to get the both of them to be friends? If he was, then he was going to have a hard time with that. He and Mick may both be Mythical types but that didn’t mean that they would get along as well as the two of them. He doubted anyone could get as close to them as each other. 

“We do?” Rip asked the same time that Mick said, “I don’t know about that, Lenny,”

He glanced at Mick, who seemed both unimpressed and curious at the same time. Only this man could do both. 

“You do. You may not notice it, but I do. I notice all the little things that people try to hide,”

“So what is it that we have in common?” Mick didn’t even bother to question what it was that he noticed, just getting right to the point. “I can’t think there are too many,”

Leonard hummed, a smirk playing on the edge of his lips. “Well, he reacts the same way you do to fights.”

“He gets excited?” Micks grin wasn’t as concealed as Leonards but it was just as amused.

Leonard laughed and shook his head. “No. He acts like the people fighting him are nothing but irritations that he could wipe away easily,”

“I do not,” Rip blinked at that, his mind denying it immediately. Though another part of his mind said that yes, it was true. He didn’t worry too much about fights because in the past he knew that he easily handle anything that someone threw at him.

“Yes you do,” Being the petulant child he was, Leonard had felt the need to argue.

“When have I ever done that?”

“In Star City 2046, with Grant Wilson’s men.” Rips heart stuttered when he thought that maybe the man had seen him lose control but his next words calm him down. “Before we got split up I saw you fight. You’re pretty good but there were a few times where you were bested. But you didn’t appear bothered by it. It was like they weren’t even a problem for you. You seemed more worried about the others than about yourself.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the snow leopard. He wasn’t going to admit to anything. “Maybe it’s just confidence,”

“Confidence?” Leonard actually seemed surprised at that answer. It was nice to know that he could surprise the man sometimes. “It wasn’t that. I have seen you confident but this was something else. This was...power. You have power and you know it. Other people can’t see it but I do. The way you walk oozes power, though appearing too lax to some people. To me, it’s not lax nor too calm, or as you put it ‘confidence’, it’s knowing that even if someone did attack you, you would have the strength to stop them.”

“I -”

“Oi, don’t interrupt. I want to hear this,” Mick butted in, cutting off his denial. Rip sent him a glare, though it was ineffective.

Leonard had a smirk on his face as he leaned forward. The look in his eyes was halfway between amusement and fascination. He actually seemed to be enjoying this. Mick seemed to have the same kind of fascination though his eyes was flicking between Leonard and him.

“You are always watching other people, noticing their behaviour and their moods. You tune into other peoples feelings almost as fast as we tune into money. You seem to know how people are feeling even without anyone saying anything. Some Mythical types can do that without a bond. Mick can do it if he tries hard enough but you seem to do it naturally.”

“It’s not my fault all of you seem to project your feelings,” He mumbled. It seems like Leonard was way more perceptive then he gave him credit for. He wished to know how they even got to this point. 

“Even so, you watch over the team like family but shy away from attention yourself. You hate being the center of attention. Mick knows what that’s like, being a dragon, and I know that your job needed discretion. But even so, we are growing into something more than a family and you just seem to be avoiding that at all costs. While you can feel the others emotions, you avoid your own. Because of your past or because of habit, I don’t know.”

“Do we have to talk about this?” He tried not to whine, he really did but this conversation was getting out of hand. He didn’t need the thief to be telling him who he was and what he was like. He knew who he was.

“Moving on then. You know more than anyone your age should. I understand that you’re from the future and you’ve had training from the Time Masters but it’s just another indicator. Mythical types are highly intelligent and seem to know more than the average person. Mick here is smarter than most people give him credit for. All they see is the arsonist, the dragon and the muscles, not the brains. He doesn’t try to hide it, people are just judgmental. You are different from him. You hide your intelligence and put it off as experience.”

Now this conversation was taking a turn for the weird. Leonard was the kind of person that needed to know all the little things about people. Rip was surprised that he had actually figured him out so quickly. 

“Why do you care so much?”

Leonard hummed in consideration before draining his glass. It seemed like this whole experience was making the man more...willing to share. Not his feelings, but his thoughts. Not the same thing but it’s something. “I normally don’t, but you’re a special case,”

Rip snorted in harsh amusement. “What makes me so special to you?”

“It’s not just to him,” Mick grumbled from his seat. He had worked his way through the bottle, which was practically gone. His eyes were no longer on his partner but on his Captain, watching with a keen eye. “I think I can see it now Lenny,”

“People only see this kind of stuff when it’s pointed out to them,”

“Except you,” He huffed in mild irritation. Never has anyone been able to take apart who he was and decipher him so well.

“Except me. I like to know stuff about other people and what better way then to see who they are by how they act,”

“I didn’t know you were a philosopher, Mr. Snart,” Rip placed his own empty glass on the desk before climbing to his feet. He wasn’t going to make them leave but he wasn’t just going to sit there. He needed to get back to work if he was to find their target. Plus, he felt the need to escape this conversation. Leonard had given him a way to find Savage and he shouldn’t waste anymore time. The sooner he could find Savage, the sooner they could end this. But what would happen after? He would have his family but he would loose this one. He wouldn’t be able to go back to the Time Masters without punishment and he didn’t want to drag this team into his mess. He’s already placed them in enough danger that he would do anything to keep them safe. Even if it meant having to leave them behind in their own time. They’ll still have each other and he was sure they could move on without him. A sharp pain flashed through him at the thought of leaving thins team.

“-wrong with him?”

“Hmm?” He turned back to the pair of crooks in the room. It seems like he disappeared into his mind again and he gave them a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Sometimes my thoughts just don’t shut up,”

“Booze can help with that,” Mick rumbled, holding out the bottle in his hand.

Rip shook his head. “No thanks. I tried that. Didn’t work too well,”

“Suit yourself,” He drained the rest of the bottle and Rip had to repress a sigh.

“I think it’s time we leave the captain to his work. We’ve bothered him enough,” The man grabbed the fire dragons arm and tugged him out of the room. But before he left he gave Rip a serious look. “Don’t forget about what we talked about,”

It seemed like everyone on this ship has felt the need to give him advice. He appreciated it but sometimes it felt like he was being over run by the feelings of his team. Not necessarily a bad thing but it was new to him. It has been so long since he could connect on this sort of level with someone. He would have never guessed that it would be this rowdy group of people that would make him open up again.

“Captain, we are receiving a distress signal from the Acheron,”

Rip frowned at that. He would have guessed that the Time Masters would have responded to the signal before he even got a hint of it. Something must be going on and he was curious to find out what.

“Gideon, set a course,”

“Right away Captain.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip discuss' this new development with the team and of course, some of them have a problem with his plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another chapter posted. I realized something while I was writing this week that I am spending quite a bit of time on this particular episode/event, more that I have in the past. I am currently finishing up chapter 16 and am still not done with the events with the Acheron. I have gotten so into writing these last few chapters that I have added quite a lot of details, which I am sure you will appreciate. And I have figured out how I'm going to make Mick into Chronos without having him betray the team, which is very mean of me, for it is not pleasant. 
> 
> P.S. I do not know anything about the technological parts of the Waverider or any other time ships so don't fault me if I get something wrong.

Saying that his team was not as eager as he was about this new development, was an understatement. In fact, many of them had even suggested that they ignore the signal and find another way to find Savage. Despite their hesitation, Rip knew that this was the fastest way to get what they needed. He had officially run out of options. His experience was telling him that this was the only way to get information. He realized as Gideon set the course was that his software was out of date for he hadn’t returned to the Vanishing Point since he stole the Waverider. It was probably the reason why he couldn’t find anything new on Savage in his database. With this ship in distress, there was a chance that he could get the updates from them. When he suggested this to the team, he wasn’t surprised to hear some objections from them. 

“It could be a trap,” Ray suggested, which was kind of surprising since he was the most trusting of this group. He seemed uneasy at the thought of boarding the Acheron and Rip didn’t blame him. He was sharing the same kind of hesitation. “I mean, if the Time Master knew that you needed the updates, they could be setting up a trap to catch you,”

Rip sighed but he knew that he couldn’t lie to them. Mainly because some of them would be able to read the lie, but also because he felt like he should be honest with them for once about something like this. “It most likely is, but I don’t see any other option. We need those updates. Even if we didn’t need them to find Savage, we would still need them if we wanted to jump more than a hundred and fifty years through time.”

Sara, who had remained silence during the beginning of this conversation, spoke up now. Her voice was sharp and for some reason he felt like he had said the wrong thing. Which seems to be the everyday thing with the two of them. Her arms were crossed and her body was tense. Her wings were flat against her back and the feathers were standing on end in anger. “And yet you want to go to this ship knowing that it’s probably a trap? Just like last time you walked into a trap? It seemed like you barely handled yourself last time, what makes this any different?”

“It won’t be like last time,” He swore he wouldn’t allow it to happen. He would take precautions this time so that it didn’t happen again. “It’s different this time. I promise.”

Sara eyed him like she always did, as if trying to read his mind. She seemed to be on the fence about whether or not this idea was even possible. He knew that she was just concerned with his safety but he just wished that she believed in him. She sighed after a few minutes and straightened up to eye him with a stern look. “Yeah, it will be because if you go on that ship, so do the rest of us,”

Rip blinked at her agreement. He hadn’t expected her to agree so easily. He had prepared for disagreements, maybe even some resistance. His eyes flicked around the room and saw that the others didn’t seem all too surprised with her answer like he was. They seemed to be in agreement with her. “So you agree that this is the best option?”

“I agree that this is the fastest option, but probably not the safest. We have no idea what could be on that ship. It must be something pretty dangerous if it can incapacitate a time ship. But since when have we ever done anything the easy way?”

His mind went to the dozens of things that could have happened to make the ship send out a distress signal. Everything from from time quakes and mechanical failure to time pirates and mutiny. There was so many options so his mind started eliminating the least likely possibilities. Time quakes would be unlikely because the Acheron was stuck in space, not in the time stream. Mechanical failure was what he was hoping for since it was the safest option for them. He just wished that he could see into the ship. He needed to know what to expect when he got on the ship. He moved over to the console and punched in some orders. A giant list came up and he started sorting through it. He figured that he should start narrowing down the options. Any mention of mechanical issues in the past, or pirate time ships that have been spotted nearby were at the top of his list. “There’s quite a few things that could do that, but there are only a few things that can block the signal from reaching the Time Masters,”

“What makes you think the signal isn’t reaching them?” Martin questioned.

“Well, they would have been there by now if they had gotten the signal,” The list had been narrowed down to just a few possibilities. The things on the list would be easy to handle if they had a bit more information.

“What if the ship is too far away for the Time Masters to get the signal?” Kendra, the ever innocent woman, asked. He could understand her question for she didn’t have the same knowledge of how time ships work or how the Time Masters kept an eye on their agents.

“Time ships broadcast a signal through time and space using advanced telecommunications. It would be impossible to prevent them from finding this ship unless someone disabled the signal broadcaster. The signal wouldn’t reach the Time Masters but it could reach out to nearby ships,” He mumbled, pausing when that question made him realize that it wasn’t mechanical failure for the technology that sends out the signal was nearly indestructible. It left only one option. Mick was the one to catch on pretty easy, surprisingly enough.

“So it’s people? We can handle people,” Mick said from around his doughnut. Does this man ever not eat? This was serious situation and he was eating pastries.

“Time pirates probably,” Though if it was just people, then Mick was right. They could probably handle it. But if it was something else, something more dangerous...he didn’t want to think of what could happen. He just hoped it was something simple.

“Time Pirates?” Ray perked up at that, instantly happier. Why was he not surprised? He grinned and turned to Jax, who was also grinning. They shared a fist bump. “Awesome,”

“Jefferson, please act your age,” Martin’s words seemed to just roll right off of the young cheetahs shoulders.

Rip shook his head at their idea of awesome. He would have to talk to them about it later. “Not really. They attack ships and other time travelers for their gear, equipment, and ships so that they can expand their own power. Whatever is left over, they sell to other time criminals like themselves. I’ve had my own fair share of run in’s with them and I don’t really want to run into them again. Let’s just hope that it’s something as simple as mechanical failure,”

“What are the chances of that actually happening?” Jax looked doubtful at that, mainly because he probably already knew that Rip had been lying. He was learning about the Waverider and while the two ships aren’t exactly the same, they are pretty similar. So he would have a pretty good guess of what the chances were. He must have realized that Rip had lied to keep the team from freaking out.

“Pretty low but I can wish,” He muttered, turning his attention back to his team. While some of them were worrying about this particular mission, a few of them looked bored. Like Leonard, Mick and surprisingly, Carter. He wished that they would take this a bit more serious. He understands that they don’t really see much as a challenge but this was about more than just their entertainment. This was about the lives of his family, which he could save if they could find Savage.

“Captain, we are approaching the Acheron. I have cloaked us so that we would not be noticed.” Gideon spoke up, nearly making him jump.

“Thank you, Gideon.” He turned to the windows and watched as the Acheron came into sight.

“I have to say, I’m impressed.” Leonard said from behind him.

Rip couldn’t help but agree with the leopard. He stared in awe at the magnificent ship before him. He let out a low whistle at the sight. If he hadn’t already had the Waverider, the Acheron would be high up on his wish list. He wasn’t personally acquainted with the Captain of that ship, but the last thing he heard was that Eve Baxter was piloting her. He’s heard that she was one of the best Time Masters in recent times. He turned to the group that was gathered behind him. Some of them looked excited while others looked skeptical. Some still looked bored. He could understand their hesitation, for this situation seemed odd to him as well. There was plenty of time for the Time Masters to beat them to the other ship and yet nothing. So his prediction was probably right and something was blocking the signal from the ship but someone else should have gotten the signal and contacted the Vanishing Point. But not even a sign that the Time Masters had heard them. Something was off and he wanted to find out what it was. It would be in their best interest to take things slow and careful until they knew what was going on.

He knew that they all couldn’t board the ship for what would they do if there actually was a trap? Who would rescue them if they all got caught? His mind raced with plans, discarding those that put his team in too much danger. The only thing he could think of was to split up this team but he also knew that they were stronger together. So he needed to make sure that both teams, one that went to the other ship and one that stayed, were evenly dispersed so that neither team would be at a disadvantage. “Here’s how it’s going to go. Mr. Jackson, Professor Stein and Mr. Rory will come with me to the ship while the rest keep an eye out here for anything suspicious,”

“I don’t like this plan,” Leonard immediately, his eyes narrowing as he glared at his Captain. Probably because Rip had suggested that he had to stay when Mick went with them. Mick didn’t seem to mind, probably because he knew that there would be a chance to roast people. He was too busy stuffing his face with more donuts to even respond.

He should have expected that someone would argue with him. He should have guessed that it would be Leonard that would challenge his ideas. He knew that the man had a hard time following orders because he liked to be the one giving them instead. “I know that this is probably a trap but I realized that we need this ship to upgrade our own software. So even if it is a trap, we need to get on that ship,”

“Then I’m going with you and I won’t take no for an answer,” The glare he was sending his way was just challenging him to argue. Rip knew that there would be no point in arguing with the man so he sighed and shrugged.

“Fine, but you follow my orders.”

“Fine,” The leopard echoed back at him and Rip could see he was a bit calmer. Did he always get upset when the dragon was away from him? He knew they were close but it seemed like he had misjudged their relationship. He wondered exactly how close they really were and what had brought them to that point. He couldn’t ask now and he doubted that there would ever be an appropriate time to ask.

“Alright. We’ll take the jumpship and get in through the loading bay.” He continued on when he realized that no one else was going to argue with him. He moved back over to the control console and put in a few commands. Just a back up plan just in case things went sideways. “If you haven’t heard from us within three hours, I want you to leave. Gideon will take you back to your own time.”

“We will not leave,” Kendra looked both startled and horrified at that suggestion. Her soulmate didn’t look any better. In fact, most of the team looked that way.

“I’m not saying right after we leave,” He had a feeling that no one would want to follow this particular order but he didn’t have a choice. He wouldn’t allow this entire team to die because of his decisions. He would do whatever he could to keep them safe. “We will have the comms but if we lose contact for more than three hours, I order you to leave,”

“But-”

“Fine,” Sara spoke up, interrupting Kendra’s refusal. The hawk sent a confused look at Sara but it was ignored. Rip could see that she understood the risks that they were taking. She also understood the consequences if they were to fail. He was glad that he had someone like her on this team for this team actually listened to her. He just hoped that if the time came that she would have to follow his order that she would actually comply. He knew that she cared for this team just as much as anyone else but if the boarding team couldn’t beat whatever was on board, what are the chances that a few extra people would be able to?

Rip nodded in thanks and turned to his other team mates. “Let’s go. I’ll meet you guys in the jumpship. I have to grab a few things before we leave,”

Getting no more objections, Rip left the group to sort themselves out. He knew that some of them still had some speculations about this particular mission, but they must know how important this was. He needed to pick up comms for the team and some weapons for himself. He was expecting some kind of problem for a ship like the Acheron wouldn’t just break down in the middle of space. He hoped more than anything though that this fight will not end like the last one. The last thing he needed was to destroy the ship he was on.

He rushed through the halls to grab some comms, and stopped in the armory to grab some weapons. Hopefully he wouldn’t need them for there has been too much violence, too much death recently. He also stopped in his room to grab the little silver case from his bathroom. Just in case, he told himself. He didn’t want to have to use it for it would set him back in his recovery but he needed to be sure. He couldn’t be too careful after last time. 

“Are we doing this or not?” Leonard drawled from the co pilot’s seat when he finally made it to the jumpship.

“I believe so, Mr. Snart,” He slid into the pilots seat and started it up. He heard the others buckling up behind him and he reached behind him to pass them their comms. “We ready?”

“We were waiting on you, Captain,” Martin chimed in, peeking around Mick’s shoulder. He looked rather small next to the dragon and it seemed like Martin knew that if the look on his face was anything to go by. It normally would have made him grin but in this situation he couldn’t even muster up a small smile. 

“Right, of course. My apologies.” He started up the ship and maneuvered them out of the Waveriders loading bay.

“Lets just get going,” Mick spoke up, one hand rubbing absentmindedly at his heatgun. It seemed like he was eager to fight someone, no matter who they may be. He supposed that he couldn’t blame the man for he had been trapped on the Waverider for the past few days. Someone like Mick couldn’t be trapped in one space with nothing to do without going crazy.

The trip to the other ship was rather uneventful. He was waiting for the ship to notice their approach and shoot them down but nothing happened. Even if there was a mechanical failure, the proximity alerts should have noticed them by now. This whole situation was rubbing him the wrong way and putting him on edge.

“You there Rip?”

He barely refrained from jumping when Sara’s voice came over the comms. He heard a soft snicker from his left and decidedly ignored the leopard. “I’m here, Ms. Lance. As are the rest of us. We are making our approach undetected so far. We’ll update you when we get new information.”

“Alright. Keep in touch,”

“Yes, Ma’am,” He said with a small smile, kicking the jumpship into high gear. The quicker they get this done, the sooner he can be back safe in his office. A few minutes later, he was punching in an override code to open the doors to the loading bay. He was glad that time ships shared the same kind of coding for their systems or else it would have been harder to get in. He set the ship down as quietly as he could off to the side place so that it would not be easily noticed. 

He had barely set the ship down before Mick was out of his seat and out the door. “Let’s do this,”

“Mr. Rory, wait-” but his words fell on deaf ears. He sighed and motioned to the door. “we should go and make sure he doesn’t start an unnecessary fight.”

“To Mick, there is no such thing as an ‘unnecessary’ fight.” Leonard drawled, trailed after his partner. He didn’t seem to worried about the dragon, but Rip himself couldn’t help it. He guessed that it was just his state of mind when dealing with this team. Constantly worried what they are going to do and whether or not they are safe. He knew that this notion was ridiculous because they are pretty good at protecting themselves but his protective instincts would not shut up. 

“You know, I think that I’ll stay here and keep an eye on the ship,” Martin rushed out, ears twitching in nervousness, and Rip wanted to object. Leaving one member of this team alone on an enemy ship was not a good idea but it was not a bad idea to leave someone to watch over the ship. 

“Okay, just be safe,” He clapped the older man on the shoulder before ducking out of the ship.

“And you as well,” Martin called after him. “You too Jefferson. Be safe,”

“Who do you think I am, old man?” Jax said jokingly but Rip could hear the concern and worry in his voice. It seemed like it wasn’t only him that was worried for the man.

“So where do we start, _captain_?” Leonard drawled, turning to him with an over exaggerated look of interest. 

Ignoring the leopards attitude, Rip glanced around the room. While the two ships were similar in many ways, the inside schematics were entirely different. It could take them quite a while to search every room and despite his fear to do so, he knew that the best thing to do would be to split up. 

“We’ll need to split up. Mr. Jackson and I shall head to the bridge while Mr. Snart and Mr. Rory will search the ship. We need to find out what happened as soon as possible.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to split up?” Jax asked, his eyes flicking around the ship nervously. He was trying to hide his nerves behind confidence but Rip could see right through it. He wanted to pull the younger man into his arms and just hold him until his uneasiness was gone. But he knew that he couldn’t. At least, not here.

“This ship is as big as the Waverider, maybe even bigger. If we want to find out what happened, we need to cover more ground quickly. This is the only way to do that. If we do this quickly and stealthily, than we should have no problem,”

“Since when do things go according to plan?” Mick rumbled, his arms crossed and he looked unbothered but he was just like Jax, unable to hide his true feelings. Though he wasn’t feeling nervous like Jax was, rather apprehensive. His eyes were constantly scanning the room, and their team, as if expecting something to jump out at him. Leonard wasn’t as easy to read as his partner for he was relaxed and didn’t even seem bothered by the fact that they were on an enemy ship. Rip wished that he could have the same kind of confidence as the snow leopard but he knew that confidence wasn’t always the best thing. 

“Look, I know that you guys are worried about this-”

“I ain’t worried,” Mick butted in, scowling like the idea of being worried was beyond him.

“But we need to get this done as quickly as possible before we are discovered,” Rip continued on as if Mick had not spoken. He didn’t mean to be rude, but they were kind of on limited time.

It seemed like Leonard understood his train of thought. “So we should get going. Let’s go Mick. We’re going to search this ship for any goodies,” Leonard smirked when Rip sighed, knowing very well why. “and any clue as to what has caused it to stop working,”

“Be careful,” Rip said to them as they left. He turned to Jax. “Shall we go?”

“I guess?” He was still uncertain and Rip really wished he knew how he could help the young cheetah. The only one he knows that could comfort the man was his partner. 

“You can stay with Martin if you want to,” The words came out before he had the chance to think about them. He did mean it though. If Jax wanted to stay, he wouldn’t stop him. 

“And leave you on your own?” Jax seemed quite upset with this and Rip couldn’t stop the smile. This man always cared too much. Which seems to be a reoccurring thing for his team.

“I believe I can handle it,” Which was the truth. This was hardly his first ship that he’s snuck upon. Though it was the first Time Master ship, and the first one where he has no idea what to expect. The other times, he had some idea of what was aboard.

Jax shook his head vehemently, his tail twitching wildly. He didn’t seem to like that idea. “No. I’m coming with you,”

Rip smiled at the younger man and nodded. “I would expect no less from you, Mr. Jackson. To the bridge we go. Keep an eye out,”

“Sir, yes sir,” Jax grinned at him, saluting him, and for a brief moment, Rip felt safe with his team by his side.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip learns a few secrets, the mission goes horribly wrong and he learns that he should not be so afraid of himself anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it a bad thing to be so excited about your own story? I mean, I sat down on Tuesday and wrote about 5000 words and then even more yesterday which is why I have to apologize about ending this chapter the way I did. I had written almost ten thousand words and realized that it was all one chapter so I had to cut it in half. I really like the next few chapters. I don't really know why, but I just do.
> 
> Anyway, I am really excited for later chapters for what I have planned for the crew of the Waverider so I'm probably going to spend the next week writing a lot since I'm off from school. I'm super excited to write more, probably more than I should be. So you will definitely have something for the next few weeks. I hope that you guys like this chapter and I look forward to hearing any thoughts you have.

Surprisingly enough, they didn’t encounter anyone along the way to the bridge. It was strangely quiet and it put him on edge. With a ship like this in distress, something should have happened and the fact that it hadn’t, was setting alarms off in his mind. Even if this was a hostile take over, there should have been someone in the hall. Or at least, the AI on this ship should have noticed them. This whole situation was making him tense and ready for a fight. He was beginning to doubt this plan and his mind was telling him that he should turn around and leave. Jax didn’t seem to be in a better mood for he was always by Rip’s side, his eyes flicking around the halls. His tail kept twitching, and his ears were perched up, trying to catch any stray sound. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to bring him along.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Jax whispered from his side. He stepped closer to Rip, bumping shoulders with his captain. Rip could see that Jax didn’t even realize he did it, an unconscious act seeking comfort. It just made him feel even worse. “Something feels wrong,”

“Yeah,” He simply said. He wanted to express his concerns but he didn’t want the cheetah to worry too much. He was already tense enough. “Keep an eye out for anything,”

“What do you think is happening?”

“I don’t know but I don’t like it,” Rip peeked around a corner to see another empty hall. This just didn’t match up. Pirates that take over a time ship search the entire thing top to bottom for anything they can use or sell. They are usually very thorough about these kinds of things. He supposed that they could have left already but for a ship this big, it should have taken them quite a bit to search every part. His mind raced with the possibilities, none of them good. It was either the fact that the pirates had run into something on this ship that caused them to leave, or the pirates were lying in wait for something. Or someone. Neither of these options sounded good for them. 

“Rip?”

He flinched a little when he heard Sara speak over the comms. He reached up and turned his comm on. “Yeah, Sara?”

“Ray just let me know that the ship you are on has stopped broadcasting the distress signal.” She sounded worried and he knew exactly what she was thinking. That this really was a trap and they had just walked right into it. He had a feeling that certain members of his crew had a ‘I told you so’ waiting for him when they got back. If they got back. That thought did not help calm his nerves at all.

“Really? Someone must have found out that it was broadcasting and shut it down,” He tried to reassure her without sounding too worried himself.

“You better pray for that to be true.” Her voice was harsh but he could still hear the concern in her voice. He had a feeling that she didn’t believe his lies.

“We’ll be fine, Sara. I promise,” This time, he didn’t have to lie. He was going to make sure that they all made it out of here alive at any cost.

“Yeah yeah,” She muttered before disconnecting.

He sighed and turned to Jax, who looked even more worried. He knew that he should have left him back on the Waverider but there was nothing that he could do about it now.

He led the way down the hall, always on alert, expecting something to happen. They have been searching for the past fifteen minutes and he had expected to be ambushed by pirates, or the Acheron’s crew. But nothing happened. There wasn’t even any sounds on board, just the quiet hum of the engine. He kept his hand hovering over his gun just in case. He also kept an eye on Jax, for he would never forgive himself if he allowed something to happen to him. One hurt team mate was already too much for him. So he promised himself that even if he had to sacrifice his own life, no one else would hurt his team.

“Didn’t find nothing in the ship,”

Rip jumped in surprise, barely suppressing a yelp as he whirled around to point his gun at Mick, who raised an eyebrow at him. His heart was beating like crazy and his muscles were tense in surprise. He couldn’t stop his breath from coming in quick little breaths. He grit his teeth as his Kitsune pushed to come out, instead forcing himself to relax and put his gun away. It took a few more moments before he could fully relax.

“Didn’t mean to scare you, English.” He didn’t look even remotely apologetic for scaring him to death. In fact, he looked rather amused. If he knew that it would do any good, and if they had the time, he would have given him a lecture about not scaring fellow team mates.

“I wasn’t scared, you just startled me,” He took a breath to calm both his body and his mind. 

“Uh huh,” Both Jax and Mick looked like they didn’t believe his statement. He was about to argue with them when he noticed something important.

“Where’s Mr. Snart?” His mind went immediately to something bad. He had gotten hurt, captured, or even killed. The panic in his mind almost reached a new level at that thought. But Mick didn’t look upset or even bothered, so he knew that it couldn’t be true.

“We got split up. He wanted to search some smucks room. He was taking too long so I moved on. We thought it would be faster to split up anyways.” Mick rolled his eyes at Rip when the smaller man crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look stern. Obviously he failed if the looks he was getting from the other two men was any indication. He wished that his team would take him seriously from time to time. “He can handle himself.”

“What if he runs into a problem he can’t handle?” Rip couldn’t help but be worried for the stone faced thief. He knew that his worry was probably just him being ridiculous but this was his team, his family and he would never stop worrying about them. “Or what if he captured by whoever is on this ship? Or what if he touches something harmful?”

“Then I’ll feel it,” Mick shrugged at that, as if that answered his question. 

But all it did was raise more questions. For both him and Jax. He wanted to ask about it, but Jax beat him to it. “Feel it? Feel it how?”

Mick looked between the two of them like they were idiots and were missing something very important. Rip was actually close to believing him. If it was this big, and he missed it, then he deserved to be thought of as an idiot. “Me and Lenny are Bonded,”

“What? Really?” Jax seemed very surprised at this and Rip had to admit, so was he. He guessed that those two were a lot closer than he had first imagined. But Bonded? That didn’t even seem to be an option when he had spoken to them earlier. You would never be able to tell just by looking at them for they don’t act like they are Bonded. Though with the two of them, he knew that they would never act like a Bonded pair in public. He wondered what they acted like when they were alone. He shut that thought down immediately. That train of thought was better left alone.

“Really. After we got out of juvie, we Bonded.” The dragon shrugged, as if it wasn’t that big of a deal. As if it wasn’t all that surprising. “A bit quick for my liking but it’s working out just fine for the both of us. A few arguments here and there but that’s normal, isn’t it? Why do you two seem so surprised with that?”

“You just don’t seem like the bonding type. Neither does Mr. Snart might I add,” Rip couldn’t stop his eyes from roaming over the dragon, searching for the Bonding scar as proof. He couldn’t see one but the man was also covered up by his fire proof suit. His wings were tucked tight against his back, probably to prevent himself from being seen to easily. His tail was invisible, tucked into the back of his pants and Rip wondered where he hasn’t seen on the mans body that could hold the snow leopards mark. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe the man but he just couldn’t seem to stop himself from looking. He wondered how he had missed it earlier.

“We don’t really like to show it. Lenny’s not big on showing feelings,” Mick shrugged, as if he was unconcerned with what they thought of them. He didn’t seem to notice that Rip had basically just checked him out. He didn’t seem to care much about what other people thought of him and Rip envied him for that. To brush off peoples opinions like it was nothing takes a lot. He has probably gone through so much with Leonard and other peoples opinions, that he has gotten used to it.

“And you are?” Jax teased the dragon.

Mick snorted in amusement. “Do I seem like the touchy feely kind of person?”

Jax sighed and rolled his eyes fondly. Of course the dragon couldn’t just admit to anything that involved feelings. “No, but yet here you are, Bonded to the one person who seems like the least likely person to do so.”

“Like I said before, you guys don’t know much about us.”

This time it was Jax who huffed. He crossed his arms and Rip almost laughed at the pout that the cheetah was now wearing. “Well it’s not like you guys actually share anything with us so it’s not our fault,”

“You haven’t even asked.”

“Like you would actually tell us anything anyway.” It seemed like the two of them were getting along pretty well and it had the captain wondering how was it that the person who hated emotions was better at connecting to people than he was? Maybe he should ask how he does it.

Rip glanced around as the two members of his team got into a heated debate about feelings. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up and he felt like he was being watched. He couldn’t see anyone watching them, but his instincts were screaming at him. But to be honest, he felt that way since they boarded. It was probably just his nerves but he didn’t want to take that risk.

“We shouldn’t stay here,” He whispered to the other two but it seemed like they weren’t even paying attention to him. Jax seemed more relaxed now that Mick was back, if the slow swish of his tail was anything to go by. They ignored him and continued their conversation about the thieves bond and Rip was ready to order them to stop. This really was not the time for this.

“Well, isn’t this a touching scene?”

Rip whirled around, his gun already in his hand raised to fire at the unwelcome voice. He didn’t make it very far before his wrist was grabbed and twisted until he let go of the gun with a yelp. The person kept twisting until he was forced to his knees, and he felt the muzzle of a gun pressed to the back of his head. He tensed at the feeling, wondering briefly if he could fight this guy off before he fired but he doubted it. He heard the others fighting until the man behind him spoke.

“Drop your weapons and surrender, or your friend here gets one in the back of his head,”

The activity died down but with his arm twisted behind his back and a gun forcing his head down, he couldn’t exactly see what was going on. He heard the distinct clang of Mick’s heat gun hitting the floor.

“Put your hands up. Any wrong move and I’ll shoot him,”

“You hurt him, and we’ll tear you apart,” Mick growled at the man and Rip was actually surprised at the true anger in his voice. Was he angry that the man was threatening him, or was he just mad that they had been caught aware?

“Yeah? We have almost twenty men on this ship and you have what? Three? What can you three do to us?” The man behind him chuckled and tightened his grip on Rip wrist, causing him to cry out in pain. If he twisted a bit more, then it would definitely break. He bit his lip to prevent himself from making anymore noise. He wouldn’t give these bastards the satisfaction. “Now here’s what is going to happen. You three are coming with us to the bridge and see what the captain wants to do with you lot. Though be warned, one wrong move and we will not hesitate to put you down.”

“Yippee,” Rip mumbled, wincing as he was yanked to his feet by his wrist. He focused his mind so that the pain wasn’t so bad and so that he could think straight. He tried to pull his arm from the mans grip now that he was on his feet.

“Oi, no smart stuff,” The man growled at him, pulling at his trapped arm again, which was now tucked against the curve of his lower back. Rip had to wonder who pissed in his corn flakes this morning to make him like this. The man started pushing him down the hallway. He briefly got a glance at the other two members of his team. Both of them had guns pointed at them but they looked physically fine. Jax looked worried and scared but it was Mick who caught his attention. Most would see a calm, blank look but Rip could tell. He was angry, no he was pissed off. His eyes were filled with rage and Rip really hoped that it wasn’t directed at him. The last thing he needed right now was a pissed off fire dragon. Right now, he needed to figure out how he was going to get them out of this. But he knew that it wasn’t just them though. Martin and Leonard were still on board so they could still have a chance. If they did this properly, then they might be able to make it out of here in one piece.

They were led through the ship until they arrived at the bridge. By this time, his arm had been released and he was allowed to walk on his own. He still had a gun pointed at the back of his head but he supposed that it could be worse. He could have several holes in him. His eyes quickly took in the bridge, the positions of the people in the room and the weapons they carried. His mind went over the odds, and he almost winced. Their odds didn’t look good, even with Martin and Leonard as their rescue team.

“We seem to have some company, Captain,”

A man at the console chuckled as he turned to them and Rip had to suppress a groan. He recognized this particular pirate. Any good Time Master would recognize this face anywhere. Jon Valor. The boar has been on the Time Masters wanted list for the past few years, always one step ahead of them. He has never personally dealt with this man but he has heard from others that he was very dangerous. He would have to play this safe if he wanted to get them out of this alive. He just hoped that this man was in a good mood, enough that he might be able to talk his way out of this.

“Well well well. What do we have here? Rip _fucking_ Hunter, in the flesh,”

“You didn’t tell us you were famous,” Mick rumbled from beside him. 

Valor laughed, almost giddy. He seemed way too happy to have him on board. This was not a good sign. “Oh, he’s pretty famous in our circles. Known for taking down some very powerful ships by himself. Everyone wants a piece of this man. How lucky am I that he just walks right into my hands?”

He huffed bitterly. His irritation was growing and the edges of his mind was fading. He hadn’t realized it, but since they were ambushed, his Kitsune was pushing into his mind little by little. His mind and the mind of the monster seemed to be merging and the bad thing was, he didn’t even care. “Trust me, that wasn’t my plan,”

“No, of course not. The great Rip Hunter always has a plan that always works. Aren’t you known to be a genius? This whole plan doesn’t seem to be all that smart, if I’m to be honest.” The man goaded, getting right in his face. Rip wanted nothing more then to punch that smug smirk off his face. But he had to remember that he was trying to get them out of this alive. He doubted the man would react kindly if he hit him. So he had to let it go, and hope that he would be able to hold his temper. “Though, what I am most curious about, is how you knew where this ship was,”

It would do no good to lie now, but he wanted to see if the man actually knew if this ship was broadcasting a distress signal. If he didn’t, that meant that something else was going on. “It’s letting out a signal. We noticed it and it led us here,”

That seemed to surprise the pirate. So he didn’t know. Which was odd. Valor was smart enough to know to destroy any kind of signal, which he probably did. So who was it that turned it back on long enough that they would get it? Something was off here and he really didn’t like it. It seemed like his team was right and this was a trap to catch them. But Valor seemed surprised to see him there so it could not have been the captain that had planned this. Someone else was planning this. “Oh really? Seems like Miss Baxter was more clever than we gave her credit for.”

“It seems she was, though it hardly seems like a hard thing to achieve.”

Valor’s eyes narrowed at him and Rip had a brief moment to realize that he said the wrong thing before the mans hand was around his throat. He clutched at the mans wrist in panic, thinking that this would be the end of him. He fought against his monster and prayed that it wouldn’t come out. Not now anyway. Bloodshed on the bridge would be one hell of a mess to clean up. “No need to get smart with me, _Captain_ Hunter. I can see that you are still bitter that your plan didn’t work out but if you continue to mouth off, I’ll take it out on your partners here. Do you understand?”

Rip nodded, gritting his teeth to prevent himself from saying something that would get them all into even more trouble. He could feel the monster welling up in him and all he wanted to do was tear this man apart. He could do it, he really could, and he wouldn’t even think twice about it. The only thing stopping him was the fact that Jax and Mick could get caught in the crossfire. That was the last thing he needed right now. So he relaxed in the mans grip and waited for the man to release him. After a moment of studying him, Valor released him and he stumbled back. 

“Here is how it’s going to go.” The man waved his hands dramatically and Rip struggled to keep himself from rolling his eyes. The man seemed to have a flair for the dramatics. “You are going to contact your ship and tell your crew to surrender. I’m taking it over. Then we’ll see what to do with the rest of you,”

Playing it safe was the best option but his curiosity got the best of him. “Why should I do that when you’re just going to kill us anyway? My crew on that ship will fire if we are not released immediately.”

“Kill you? Oh no, you are much to valuable to kill. I’m sure there are some people that would _love_ to get their hands on you. So I’m not going to kill you. Your friends, on the other hand,” Valor waved his gun in Jax’s direction. “they are disposable. As for your ship, I don’t think they’ll fire with you on board.”

It was like confronting Druce again. People seemed to think that his team were unimportant and while they may see it like that, he did not. Over the last week, he has become to realize that every member of this team was important to him in some way. They have become more then just a team to him. They have become family. So having someone like Valor say that they were not important, almost had him losing control just like last time. He bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from snapping at the pirate. The last thing he needed was to lose his cool with the man who basically held their lives in his hand. This stubborn bastard would not give up so easily, and Rip had to play to his weaknesses.

“How about a counter proposal?” He jumped in, hoping to keep the mans attention on him. He thought of all the things that he could offer the man that would make him let them go unharmed. There was very little but he didn’t care what he had to offer up to keep his team safe.

Valor tilted his head in interest. “I’m listening,”

Rip knew that his team would fight against this decisions but he didn’t know how else to get out of this situation without resorting to violence. If they did that, it won’t just be the pirates that got hurt. “I give you my ship, and I’ll go with you but you allow my team to go back to their time,"

The man hummed, tapping his gun against his chin in an exaggerated look on contemplation. Rip knew that the man was purposely trying to make him nervous, trying to put him on edge so that he couldn’t think calmly. He had to admit, it was working. In the past, he didn’t have any them or crew that he had to worry about so this would not have worked then. He would have been able to fool any pirate and take them down. But now, his mind was focused on the safety of his team, rather then completing the mission. He just prayed that the pirate would take the offer. “Interesting idea,”

“Rip, no! You can’t,” Jax fought against the men holding him, looking at him with a horrified expression. He hated seeing this look on his face but he knew that they couldn’t get out of this without offering something.

“This is my decision Jax,” He said softly, hoping that the young mechanic would understand his decision. His very heart ached at the thought of losing the Waverider. After all, it’s his home, the only thing he has left. To give it up to a man like Valor was almost too much.

“Technically, it’s neither of your choices. It’s mine,” Valor looked strangely amused and all Rip wanted to do was punch that stupid look off his face. This whole situation was spinning out of control and sooner or later, someone was going to get hurt. He just wasn’t sure who it was going to be. Valor stalked back over to him, a strange smirk on his face. “But I’m going to have to decline your proposal,”

“What? Why?” Rip watched as the pirate captain strode past him back over to Jax and Mick. Rip took a step toward him, ready to jump in if needed but the men behind grabbed him. He tried to shrug out of their grasp but found that he was unable to. He grumbled unhappily, his eyes trained on the man.

“Because I’m sure that I could get some good money for species like this, and there’s probably even better back on your ship,” Rip really didn’t like the look in the pirates eyes when he said that while gazing at Jax. “I’m sure some people could find a...fun use for them,”

Rips mind was filled with images of Jax, hurting and in pain as people... _no_! Jax was so young, so innocent that the worst kind of people would take interest in him. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Jax was the baby of this team, the one that everyone felt the need to protect. What kind of captain would he be if he allowed this pirate to take advantage of him? How would he ever be able to look at himself again if he failed in protecting him? He didn’t care if he lost his life protecting him, he would never allow anyone to hurt him. He was tired of sitting on the sidelines while his team, his _family_ got hurt. He was no longer going to allow it.

“Leave him alone,” He snarled, feeling his Kitsune begin to show. He struggled to hold back the magic, the specific features and the bloodlust, the stuff that could seriously hurt everyone in the room if he allowed it to. He didn’t resist when some of the other attributes came rushing to the surface. He knew that he was taking a risk allowing it out but he would _not_ allow this man to hurt Jax, or any other member of his family. It was time that he stopped being afraid of himself and fight back. 

Neither Valor or his teammates noticed his change. The other pirates didn’t notice it either, too focused on their captain. Except for the ones holding him. He heard a confused sound come from one of them when they felt the magical pressure in the room start to rise around him. In this state, even though he wasn’t at full strength, he could easily break their hold on him and kill them all. He pushed that thought away. He didn’t want to kill anyone right now, not when his goal wasn’t to hurt but to protect. His eyes flicked over to Valor, who was still talking to Jax but Rip payed no attention to his words. He was more concerned when the man reached out the ruffle the cheetahs ears, causing the young man to flinch. His fear flooded the room, adding to the fox’s anger and he couldn’t stop the growl that rumbled out of his chest.

Everyone stopped at heart stopping sound, turning towards him. He didn’t care that everyone's attention was now on him because it was now off of Jax. He watched as Valor’s eyes scanned him with a shocked look on his face, emitting a faint smell of fear. A shiver of excitement went down his spine at the thought of knowing this man was scared of him. 

“Touch him again and I _will_ kill you,” He rumbled out, his voice rough from his accent and his razor sharp teeth that filled his mouth. By this time, many of the pirates were shaking in fear and he couldn’t stop the grin that came to his face at that. People should know the risks of attacking his team. He felt the pirates that were holding him tighten their grips and he shrugging his shoulders, sending them to the floor. Both of them yelped in surprise, which was followed by some other pirates gasping in surprise. He ignored them and turned his gaze back to the pirate captain with a harsh grin. “You should know that I can, and will,”

Valor’s shocked look was replaced with a narrow eyed guarded one and he straightened up. His fear, though not entirely gone, was replaced with a stubborn confidence. His gun, which had been at his side throughout their ‘conversation’ was now placed against Jax’s side. The cheetah whined softly in fear at this, and Rip growled again. He hated the fact that this man was making Jax so scared and he wanted nothing more then to tear him apart. With his teeth. 

But it seemed like Valor had other plans. He pressed his gun closer to Jax’s side and snapped at him in anger anger. “Take one step and I will put a bullet in him,”

“Will you? Are you sure that you are faster then me? Because I’m pretty sure I can make it to you before the thought even crosses your mind,” Rip wasn’t sure of that at all, but he wanted to place some doubt into his mind. Enough doubt that the man would not want to fight them anymore and hopefully let them go. Though the chances were slim, he knew that this was the only way to get them out of this without resorting to a fight. 

Valor growled back at him in challenge and Rip stood straighter, issuing his own, much more impressive growl back. This was turning into an even more hostile situation but he just couldn’t seem to stop himself. His instincts were screaming at him to just show this pig his place, at his feet begging for mercy. Where he belonged. He could feel his mind slipping into his bloodlust and he knew that he needed to put an end to this soon. Or this could end very bloody.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip tries to help his team the best he can though the only way to do that is by surrendering. Tired and irritated, Rip takes his anger out on his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the second part. I almost forgot that I actually had to post this today. I really like this chapter and I hope that you do as well. Many of you might notice that I have used dialogue directly from the episode, mainly because I like the way they did this episode, but I hope that this won't cause an problems.

“Put the gun down and I might just let you live,” Rip growled at the pirate captain. He barely paid any attention to the other pirates, knowing that they would not be able to do much harm to him if they tried.

Valor laughed at him, causing Rip to let out another unhappy rumble. This man was daring to laugh at him? The was unacceptable. “Not a chance. Stand down and I’ll let them go,”

Rip narrowed his eyes at that. He had refused his offer before and was now trying to offer him the same thing back. It could be a trap just to get him to agree and then take him down later. But this standoff could only end in two ways. One, they fight and people get hurt, including his team. He wanted to avoid this at all costs. Two, one of them backing down and surrendering to the other. It seemed like Valor was not going to back down so easily and if he fights it any longer, Jax could end up paying the price for his stubbornness. He considered his options and realized that it was in all of their best interest if he surrendered. It would prevent Jax and Mick from getting hurt, and it would allow the other team members time to rescue them. He should not have allowed himself to use his Kitsune for this, he realized with an internal groan, for it seemed to just make this situation much worse. That’s all he seemed to do recently. He should have realized that letting the monster out would only cause trouble. _Stupid, weak, pathetic man_ , his mind whispered at him. _Let go. Show them who it is that is the stronger one. Tear them all apart to prove it. You can do it, they deserve it for hurting our family.Weak. That’s what you are._

I don’t care. They will not pay for my mistakes.

“Okay, okay. But if you hurt them, I won’t stop next time.” He took a breath to calm himself enough that he could force down his Kitsune and winced when it faded. It was always bad when he came back to himself though it seemed like this time wasn’t as bad. He felt himself shiver as the magic disappeared, feeling strangely empty at that. He always felt awful at the loss of his magic, but he had always assumed that it was because there was so much magic he couldn’t control. Maybe it was something else though his mind was too tired at the moment to think of any explanations.

Valor let out a breath and relaxed. He pulled away from Jax but kept his gun pointed at the younger man. “Get on your knees Hunter. Now!”

Rip grit his teeth at the order, fighting against his instincts as he knelt down. It should be the other way around. This man was not worthy enough to even be able to order him around. He was going to listen though, if only for the sake of his team. He knew that he shouldn’t push the man any further that he already has. He kept his hands raised in a gesture of surrender. He glared at the man as he approached him with a stupid smirk. The man believed that he won and Rip wanted nothing more than to disagree but he knew that it was the truth. Even with his abilities, he had lost to a pig because he had a weakness now. His family was his weakness and he would do anything to keep them safe. 

“Do that again, and I won’t be so merciful. Do you understand?” 

He gave a sharp nod, refusing to speak just in case he couldn’t stop the bitter words. He had always done that, used sarcastic remarks when in trouble. It has always gotten him into even more trouble but it seemed to be one of those things that he couldn’t control. Valor walked around him, studying him as if he was some prize horse. He has gotten these looks in the past from others who had found out about him but he had been too young to understand what they had meant. He understood now and he hated it. Just another reason why he hated what he was and why he never showed it to people. When people knew what he was, they stopped seeing Rip and started seeing the monster.

“Good. I have to say, I’m surprised. That is some trick you have. I’ve seen a lot of stuff in my years but this is new. I knew that Time Masters held some secrets but this...” He whistled low and Rip had to suppress a wince. He hated this, hated the fact that this man was now looking at him like he was some grand prize to be won. He had a feeling that things had just gotten even more difficult. His decision to let the Kitsune out was coming back to bite him in the ass. “Let me ask a question. If you have this kind of power, why did you tie yourself to people like the Time Masters? Those pompous assholes don’t deserve to have this kind of power.”

“Good thing I’m not with the Time Masters anymore then,” He grumbled. He could have lied, could have made up some random story to please this man but he was tired of this. He just wanted this to be over so he could crawl into his bed and sleep.

“Oh, I know. There are wanted notifications on this ship and I was actually quite surprised to see your name on the list. The great Rip Hunter, one of the best Time Master that have ever existed, now a simple time criminal.” Valor laughed at that. All fear and tension from before had disappeared. It seemed like he didn’t see Rip as a treat anymore and that irritated him. He knew Rip’s weakness and he wasn’t afraid to exploit it to keep him under control. “Care to share why you have abandoned them?”

“Because they abandoned me,” He snapped, his anger growing again. Valor tensed, his grip on his gun tightening. He huffed in amusement at the mans reaction. He wasn’t going to attack again. He was too tired for that. And he knew that it wouldn’t do anything but get someone hurt. “I did everything that they wished of me, was a good little soldier. But when I needed them, they turned their back on me. They tried to prevent me from doing what I believed to be right for the sake of thousands of lives. So I left.”

“I told you, they’re assholes. But now that you are like us-”

“I am nothing like you,” He growled. “I am not a pirate, nor a murderer like you,”

Valor raised an eyebrow at him, seemingly surprised at his answer. “No? So you wouldn’t have killed me if I had hurt your team mate?”

He knew the answer to that without even having to think about it. Of course he would have. He would have killed every pirate on this ship if he had even scratched Jax or Mick. “That’s different. That would have been to protect someone, not just for the fun of it,”

“It’s still murder,” Valor smirked at him, placing his gun back into the holster. He moved back over to the console when the two men behind him had their guns pointed at him. “As much as I would like to continue this conversation, we are on a schedule. I’m sure we can get to know each other better later on. Gilbert, contact the Waverider,”

“Of course, sir,”

The room was silent as they hailed the Waverider. A click and they were connected. Rip hoped that it was one of the more clever members of his team. He needed someone to be able to deal with Valor without giving into his demands. His work here would have gone down the drain if his team just handed over the Waverider. 

“I’d like to speak to the Acting Captain of the Waverider,” Valor seemed almost too confident that his plan would work. His confidence didn’t seem to have lowered after their little spat. He just hoped that it wouldn’t get them into anymore trouble.

“This is Acting Captain Raymond Palmer. Who’re you?” Raymond’s bright voice echoed out of the system and Rip had to suppress a groan. Who the hell put him in charge? Don’t get him wrong, he cared about Raymond but he was one of the softer members on this team and would probably give in too easily.

“I’m the man holding your crew hostage,” The grin on the pirate Captains face was making Rip wish that he had killed the man. The silence on the line made him want to speak up before Raymond said something stupid that would put their lives into more danger.

“Captain Palmer, I’ve informed Mr. Valor of the fiery retribution that will rain down upon him if we are not released immediately,” He knew that he was being a bit dramatic if the looks he was receiving were anything to go by. But he needed these pirates to take him seriously and for Raymond to know that they were relatively safe. 

Valor hummed mockingly and before Rip could react, spun around and punched him across the face. He yelp in pain as pain flashed across his face and he was pulled to his feet and slammed face first into the console. He winced at the pain, and struggled briefly. His magic flared up for a moment but he pressed it down. Valors hand grasped the back of his neck, forcing him to remain plastered against the screen. He was sure that the rest of his crew could see him on the Waverider and prayed that this was not going to make them give in. He could take the pain that would no doubt follow and he prayed that they realized that.

“I’m going to make this _real_ simple. You surrender you ship and I’ll drop you off unharmed in a place and time of your choosing. You’ve got ten seconds to decide,”

“Or else what?” Palmer questioned. He seemed both worried and curious. Rip was actually surprised that he hadn’t given in right away. Maybe he should have given the man more credit. “If you want the Waverider for yourself, there is no way you’ll fire on us,”

Valor huffed a small laugh. He seemed to be thinking the same thing as Rip, that maybe Raymond wasn’t so bad at negotiating. Though it didn’t seem like the pirate was going to give in so easily. It appeared as if he never did anything the easy way. Rip felt him reach back and he soon felt the barrel of his gun pressed against his head. He heart skipped a beat for a moment and he was sure he was going to die there. “Perhaps, but right now, I have my sights set on your captains head,”

“Wait wait wait, okay.” He heard Ray exclaim, and he sighed. Of course, when someone was threatened Raymond was likely to give in. He sounded panicked and that was the last thing he needed. “Just give me a chance to negotiate.”

Valor didn’t even respond to that. “Ten...nine...”

“Maybe he’s bluffing,” Raymond whispered, probably to the rest of the team. Rip hoped that one of them would put some sense into the wolf so that they didn’t end up surrendering his ship. The Waverider was the only thing he had left. He realized that it was a bit hypocritical for him to be thinking that when he had just offered the Waverider to the pirate but that was when he had the chance at winning. Their chances didn’t look too good right now.

“Eight,”

“Doesn’t feel like it,” Carter said. To anyone, he would sound calm and collected but Rip could hear the concern in his voice. 

“Seven,”

Rip’s mind raced with thoughts on how to save his team and it came to him. It was so obvious that he didn’t know why he didn’t think of it sooner. The one thing he had control over right now was the Waverider, even if no one realized it. They should be more careful with what they give access to. “You don’t know Palmer and how he survived the Imperiex Onslaught,” Rip said and he briefly heard alarms going off on the Waverider. He knew that Gideon would listen, even if he was not on the ship. Gideon would know what he was trying to do. He had a feeling though that if they made it out of this alive, his team would not be so understanding.

“Six,” Valor went on but Rip knew it was too late. He felt the rumble of the Waverider moving and it only took a few moments before a quake shook the Acheron as they took a hit from his ship. Both he and Valor were thrown back from the force and he clutched at a railing nearby. Valor abandoned his attempt to keep him under control. Instead he was more concerned with catching his ship. 

“Gilbert!”

“Yes sir?” The ships AI responded.

“Set a pursuit course and prepare to return fire,” Valor returned to the console and barely paid him any attention. He took the chance to step back towards his team members. He tried to send them a reassuring look but he had a feeling it didn’t work. 

“If you destroy the Waverider, none of use are getting back home,” Jax spoke up from beside him. Rip sent him a look that basically told him to _stop talking_. He didn’t want Valors attention back on the young man.

Valor turned to them with an amused expression. “Don’t worry. I’m only targeting your ships life support systems.”

Rip shared a worried look with Jax. If he managed to hit the life support systems then they would only have a few hours, if they were lucky, before they ran out of air. He wished that he could do something, anything to help them but he was stuck on this damn ship with pirates. He should have listened to his team when they said that it was a trap. He should have thought of another way to get the updates. If he did, then his team wouldn’t be in danger. His impulsiveness has once again gotten them into trouble. He tried to keep his balance when the ship moved to pursue the Waverider. The Acheron was pretty fast and Rip had a feeling that the Waverider would not be able to outrun it. The Acheron fired at his retreating ship, hitting the side and sending it swerving to the left. Rips heart almost stopped when he saw the missile actually hit the side. His first thoughts went to the safety of his team. They better be alright or someone would pay with their life.

“Target their thrusters and fire,” The pirate angrily ordered one of his men that were at the controls. A pause that seemed to make Valor even more angry. “I said fire,”

One of the pirates at the controls looked up in confusion. “Sir, the weapon systems have been taken offline. Manually,”

Valor turned to Rip, eyes dark with rage, and pointed at him in what he probably thought was a threatening manner. “Who else is on my ship?”

He knew that he shouldn’t taunt the already angry man, but he was also pissed off at the man for endangering his family. “A good captain keeps his best weapons hidden from his enemies, Mr. Valor,”

“Find the saboteur and bring him to me, dead or alive,” He motioned to some of the pirates, who left in a rush. They weren’t eager to deal with their captain when he got angry. “I guess we’ll just have to follow your friends until they are out of air. Shouldn’t take too long given the size of the hole in the hull,”

The next few minutes went by tensely and Rip waited for the news that his team had failed to get away or that they have perished on their ship. The pursuit continued and even though Rip could tell that the Waverider was suffering significant damage, he still hoped that they would get away.

“Hail the crew of the Waverider,” Valor tried again. He turned to Rip and waved him closer. A pirate behind him shoved his gun into his back, forcing him to move closer to the crazed pirate. He hoped that the man wouldn’t toss him around anymore. He didn’t know how much more his sore muscles could take. “Rip, tell your crew to let us board, and I will happily save them. But either way, we are taking the Waverider.”

Rip glared at the man, unwilling to back down. He wasn’t going to hand over his ship to this man. He would rather die. He has spent a good part of his life on that ship and he wasn’t going to let the man destroy it in his search for more power.

“Take the damn deal, Rip,” Mick spoke for the first time since getting to the bridge. He glanced briefly at the man, who looked quite upset. Not that he blamed him, for this was his fault.

“A captain never surrenders his ship,” He could feel Micks anger but he couldn’t think of that right now. He had more important things to deal with right now, like getting his ship out of the reach of these pirates. He already knew exactly how he was going to do that. One simple command should do it. “Besides, you’ll never catch Captain Palmer. He once outran Kanjar-Ro himself.”

Valor didn’t seem to notice his words, instead turning back to the console in anger at his lack of co-operation, as the ship continued to pursue the Waverider. Rip knew that it was already too late. He could see his ship from the window and could tell exactly when the protocol initiated. Soon enough, the Acheron caught up with the other time ship but as the pirates ship was about to crash into it, it faded away causing the Acheron to pass right through it.

Valor blinked in confusion and Rip wished that he had the time so he could enjoy that look. “The hell happened to it?”

The pirate at the controls seemed quite impressed. “We were following a holographic projection, which allowed the Waverider to slip away.”

Valors eyes flicked over to Rip and he scowled. It seems like he had been caught but he wasn’t going to show any fear to this man. He had managed to trick him and most of his team was now safe. Well, safe enough if they could get the hole sealed. He had faith in them. “Giving secret commands to your crew, very clever,”

He gave the man a bitter smile. “Thank you,”

Valor snarled at him and waved to his own crew. “Take them to the brig. I’ll deal with them later,”

“Yes sir,” The pirates waved their guns at them and Rip went willingly. It would do no good to fight right now. Plus, this would give him time to think of a plan to get them out of there. Now that they were out of Valors scrutiny, he could plan their escape.

The trip to the brig was short and soon enough he was being pushed into the room. He stumbled and somehow managed to end up flat on his face. He groaned in pain and looked up, noticing a pair of boots. His eyes trailed up to the unimpressed face of Eve Baxter, the original Captain of the Acheron. He had almost forgotten about her.

“We’re – ah – here to save you,” He pushed himself to his feet and tried not to flinch away from the harsh look on her face.

“Excellent rescue, Captain Hunter,” She said dryly. She looked at him with a cold look that even Leonard would be impressed with.

“Does everyone know you?” Jax questioned and Rip would have told him off for asking irrelevant questions, but he knew that the man needed something to take his mind off the current situation. 

“He’s a wanted man so every Time Master knows him,” Eve crossed her arms and sat back. He had heard rumors about her and he had to say, she fit them perfectly. Cold, calculating and ever loyal to the Time Masters. He didn’t think that there would be any chance in getting her help with his own ships upgrades if they ever did make it out of here. “So what are you here for? Other than messing up a horribly planned rescue?”

“We got your distress signal and wanted to help,” He said, but he knew that he didn’t fool the sharp eyed mink.

“And?”

“And I was hoping that after we saved you, you would allow me to update Gideon with your AI,” He could see Jax and Mick looking at him confused. Probably wondering why he’s telling her why they are really there. He figured that it’s best to get on her good side if he really wanted to get those updates when this whole thing was done.

“Like I said before, excellent rescue you have going on,” Her bitter tone was not lost on him. He could understand why she was so bitter. Jon Valor was one annoying pirate. He wondered briefly what happened to her crew but he realized that he shouldn’t ask. Valors file stated that he would kill anyone that had no value to them.

“We’ll get you out of here. I promise,”

“I’ll see if I can find a way to lower the door.” Jax gave them a weak smile and Rip really wished that he didn’t have to. Someone as young as Jax should not have to suffer as he had to since he was dragged onto this mission by his partner. If he had the chance to change it, he would have but he knew deep that that he has gotten too close to his team to give them up now. 

The next few minutes were tense and Rip wished he could be anywhere but here. He paced back and forth in their cell, his mind forming and discarding escape plans. He didn’t know the current locations of the rest of the team. He just hoped that they realized what has happened and would come looking for them. Leonard, since he was Bonded with Mick, should have noticed the moment they got ambushed by the pirates. Hopefully, he was just biding his time. The leopard was just as good as he was when it came to plans. Especially ones that involved escapes.

A curse from Jax pulled his attention to the door. The door had sparked, then beeped. He looked defeated. 

“Sorry, Captain. I can’t get it open,”

The expression in the younger mans face made him want to comfort the younger man and hide him away from the rest of the world so that he wouldn’t have to face the bitterness of the world. “It’s fine. These newer doors are trickier than the ones on the Waverider.”

“I just wish that I could do something so that I know that I have actually learned something from you,”

“Don’t worry kid. It’s not you fault. It’s his,” Mick spoke up from where he had been sitting and pointed a finger at Rip. “You were the one to drag us onto this damn ship without a plan, without much of an idea of what to expect. You didn’t even consider other options or even consult with us about anything of the sort before ordering us to come with you,”

“Might I remind you, Mr. Rory, that you knew the risks and could have declined to come along.” Rip tried to suppress his groan at this. It was not the time to get into this but it seemed like captivity did nothing but fuel the dragons rage. He knew that he needed to cool the dragon down but had a feeling that he would be unable to. The only person he knew that could bring the man down from his rage wasn’t here at the moment. 

Mick snorted, a brief puff of smoke coming out. It just proved how angry he was right now. But for some reason, Rip didn’t care. “Right, so when I refused, my partner would have volunteered because you have filled his head with fairy tales about saving the world.”

That almost made him laugh. He knew that no one would be able to change Leonard, and for Mick to blame him for the leopards change of heart was just ridiculous. “Your partner has a mind of his own, Mr Rory. Which is more that I can say of you,”

“Are you saying that I’m dumb, Captain?” The dragons eyes had narrowed into slits, the rich amber lighting up with an inner fire. For some reason, his Kitsune reared his head at the obvious challenge and Rip barely held the snarl back. His inner monster may care for his team like a family but that didn’t mean it was going to allow them to fight against his commands and decisions.

“Let’s pretend, just for a moment, that _you’re_ the captain, stuck in the brig while the rest of your crew slowly perish on their damaged ship. Now what would you do to get yourself out of that predicament?” The monster in him snapped at the dragon. He waited but he could see Mick’s face fall as he struggled to find an answer. Typical. Rip struggled to pull the monsters instincts back from his mind but was finding it difficult. He didn’t mean to snap but the stress of this entire situation from the pirates to him allowing his Kitsune out was making him extremely irritable. And he was taking it out on Mick He threw his hands up in frustration. “What? No brilliant ideas? Really? Why am I not surprised? It’s a wonder that Mr. Snart even keeps you around,”

“Shut your mouth, now!” Mick snarled as he pushed himself to his feet and approached him.

Sensing a fight coming, Jax tried to place himself in between the two of them. He placed a hand on both of their chests. “Okay. Why don’t we all just take a breath,”

He wanted to listen to the cheetah but it seemed like his Kitsune was having none of it. The more Mick fought him, the more the monster wanted to take over and show the dragon his place. He may be family but he would not be challenged. He pushed that thought down but he couldn’t quite get rid of the hostile feelings. He couldn’t stop himself from taunting the already pissed off dragon. “Or what? You’ll punch me in the face, or burn me alive or employ some other barbaric form of violence?”

“That’s why you recruited me, isn’t it?” The man glared at him and under normal circumstances he would have back down, scared, but not now. Now, he was too frustrated and filled with feelings he couldn’t put the all the blame on the monster inside. Mick either didn’t notice or didn’t care that he seemed to be struggling with himself. “To hit, hurt and burn?”

“No, I recruited you because you and your partner were a package deal,” He snarled at the man, getting right up in his face. Neither man wanted to back down with this. 

“What?” That seemed to make the man lose his anger for he deflated and took a step back. He eyed the captain with a confused look. If Rip had been in a better state of mind, then he would have seen the hurt look in the mans eyes.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Rory, but a serial arsonist was never part of my plan to stop Savage. Much less, one with the IQ of meat,” He snarled, his anger getting to the point where he could hardly hold it back. He glared at the taller man for a few seconds before backing off, turning around to gain control over himself again. If he allowed the anger to grow even a tiny bit more, he might end up hurting the man. If had more control over the monster, he would have never said those kinds of things. His head was killing him and he pinched the bridge of his nose to try and alleviate the pain. He found that his ability to resist was dying and the urge to rip, tear and kill growing. 

“Now, that’s not how you’re supposed to treat your friends.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mick leaves with the strange man and Rip realizes that maybe he should have more confidence in his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter. I have to say though that I haven't had a lot of time to edit this because of school and work so all mistakes are mine and hopefully you can look past them. Hopefully I have both the time and motivation to write more for next week.

Rip turned to the door where a man was gazing at them with a strangely amused look. Rip didn’t recognize the man, but that wasn’t too surprising. The amount of time pirates and criminals were growing every year and it wasn’t like he could know them all. Plus, even the Time Masters didn’t know all of the pirates out there. Mainly because it would be impossible to get the names of hundreds of unknown pirates. But something was off about this man though. He didn’t seem to have the pirate kind of attitude.

“What?” Rip glared at the man, wary of his intentions. Something just didn’t seem right by the way he was looking at the people in the room. The man was alone for one, and given the fact that Valor was meticulous in the idea of keeping them locked up, it was odd. He also wasn’t wearing the same kind of pirate garb or carrying the same type of weapons as the other pirates. “Who’re you?”

“If he really was your friend, you wouldn’t treat him like shit,” The man continued, seemingly unbothered by his glare. He ignored his questions as if he was nothing to him. His gaze wasn’t even on the irritated captain but on Mick, who seemed just as confused as he was. “Why do you allow him to treat you like that?”

Mick didn’t answer him, but his expressions said that he had come to a realization that Rip seemed to have missed. If his mind wasn’t so clouded, he might have caught the mans meaning. He felt like he could have done something about his state but he couldn’t think right now. He needed to think, why couldn’t he think right now. The only thing running through his mind right now is that he needed to get them out of here in whatever way possible.

“Is there something I can help you with?” Rip snapped at the man, not wanting to put up with whatever game he was playing.

“Not you. I just wanted to have a word with Mr. Rory here,” He removed his gun from his holster and pointed it at the captain. “Move back against the wall. One wrong move and I’ll shoot you, no matter what Valor might say.”

Rip could see in his eyes that he was not lying, that he would shoot one of them if they didn’t do what he said. He didn’t see any other option but to obey even though his instincts were screaming at him to do something. He knew that Mick would be able to handle himself if he ever got into trouble. One thing was certain about the dragon was that he knew how to handle himself in sticky situations. He took several steps back, making sure to place himself between the man and Jax. He didn’t want their youngest member getting hurt on his watch.

The man swiped a card against the controls for the doors and waved his gun at the dragon. “Come along, Mr Rory. I’d like to have a few words with you. If you don’t mind.”

Mick glanced back at him, but either he understood the threat of what would happen if he didn’t comply, or he was still angry at Rip for what he had said because he went with the man without a word to him. The man raised the door again and grinned nastily at Rip. “Don’t worry, Mr. Hunter. I’ll take good care of him,”

That, plus the disgusting look in his eyes made Rip growl at him. It wasn’t very effective for the man just grinned at him, saluted and walked away, keeping his gun pointed at Mick. Rip watched them leave, his anger being replaced with worry. Several questions were running through his mind and now that he seemed to have a clearer mind, he could understand what had just happened. Why had this man been interested in Mick? His team were not known to any time pirates for they have not met any yet. So why? Was it because he was a dragon or was there another reason as to why the sudden interest in the arsonist? All these questions were running through his mind and the longer they remained unanswered, the easier it became for his mind to come up with the worst possibilities. He hated that his mind automatically went to the worst possibilities but he has seen humanity at it’s worst so he wasn’t all too surprised. He just hoped that this situation would not end the way his mind was thinking.

Something was bothering him though. The man used a card to open the door. Normally only high ranking crew members had cards that could access doors like this and he supposed that it was possible that they could have taken it from another Time Master, but it did raise more questions. If this man wasn’t a pirate, was he a Time Master? An Acheron crew member? It didn’t really matter either way though because Mick was still gone and he was stuck in here with no way out.

As the minutes ticked by, Rip got more and more nervous when Mick did not return. He had started pacing again. What was the man doing to his team mate? Why was he so interested in him? He felt himself slump down onto the floor, his mind numbing once again. This whole day was spiraling out of control and it seemed like he was reaching his limit of what his mind could handle. He wished that he could just let go for a moment so that he wouldn’t have to feel like this anymore. He rubbed at his eyes with his hands, hoping to wipe the forming headache away. It always seemed like he had pissed off someone in his previous life to have such bad luck. And his bad luck was rubbing off on his team.

“Rip?”

“Hmm?” Rip looked up and saw both Jax and Eve looking at him in concern. Well, concern from Jax and contemplation from the other captain. He was surprised at the amount of interest he was getting from her. From their discussion earlier, he would have guessed that she didn’t like him very much.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just...I hate myself for saying that to Mick and now he’s gone and my mind is running through all the horrible things that could happen. I would hate for the last thing that I would say to him was hateful. I just want the opportunity to tell him that I didn’t mean it.” he rushed his words, needing to get them out. He needed to tell someone or else the guilt would build and build and it was high enough already. His entire was being weighed down from the guilt of what he had said to the man. He really didn’t mean it. Why? Why must his Kitsune be so dominating, so cruel? It made no sense to him. He wanted to apologize but in his mind he knew that he would never be able to make it up to him. For his own captain to basically call him stupid right to his face must have done something to the man.

Jax sat down next to him, bumping against his shoulder trying to comfort him. He sighed. “I think he knows that you didn’t. We know that you are under a lot of stress, and you get quite grumpy when you are stressed.”

“Grumpy? I do not get grumpy,” He mumbled in denial but he knew that it was true. He has always had a hard time dealing with his stress that didn’t involve taking it out on other people. He had guessed that it was something to do with the fact that he was a species that would not submit to anyone or anything. Just another reason to hate who he was. “I’m just worried.”

“Then I have to tell you that there is no need to worry. We have a secret weapon,” Even though there was still concern in his voice, he did sound a bit calmer, a bit brighter.

“We do?” Rip raised an eyebrow at him, curious to know what the younger man knew that he didn’t. 

Jax nodded confidently. “We have Martin and Leonard on the ship too, so they will rescue us,”

Of course. Jax would always think of the positive and knowing that their team was still out there, free and able to help them, gave him a little hope. Not enough to make the horrible feeling of defeat disappear, but enough to make him not give up completely. It was funny how most of the team could manage to do that. “I appreciate your optimism, Jax but how can you be so certain?”

“Because it’s our team. Our team always gets the mission done.”

Rip wanted to laugh at that, ready to argue with him that their team couldn’t complete any missions. From the previous missions, he would say that they have been complete disasters. Everything had gone in the opposite direction than he had planned. The team seemed to do it just to piss him off. But if he thought on it, he would have to disagree with himself. While the missions have not quite gone the way he had hoped, they did manage to complete their objective. So in the end, Jax was right. They did get the missions complete, all the while protecting each other. So maybe he should have a little more faith in his team, and rid himself of the doubt. The doubt that had been building the longer this entire mission went on.

“You’re right. They are probably on their way right now. I should have more faith in them,”

Jax huffed a tired laugh. “It’s okay. I know that you are struggling with this more than any of us. I’m surprised that you are still holding it together as well as you are,”

“Time Masters are trained to handle stressful situations,” Eve spoke up, still eyeing Rip. She seemed perplexed with him which he was kind of used to. He has never fit into the ‘norm’ of things and was often questioned on. He has gotten used to the stares, the whispers and the rumours. Some would say that he has gotten jaded but he believes that he has just built up a resistance. He wasn’t surprised that Eve was interested in his mindset. She was probably used to other Time Masters being cold and calculating like herself. They were trained to be that way from the moment they were taken in. To have someone like him, someone who showed concern for the life of his crew, was probably something new to her. New enough that she got curious. “Why do you concern yourself with him? It seems like you don’t have a good relationship with him anyway,”

Her tone reminded him too much of Druce, telling him that his team wasn’t important. He wanted to snap at her, tear her apart for even suggesting that but something stopped him. The look in her eyes was different than Druce’s was. While his were uncaring and indifferent, she seemed almost...sympathetic. He must have been imagining things. There was no way that a Time Master of her caliber would care about whether or not he cared about his team.

“We may not get along the best but he is still a part of my fam-team.” He stopped himself from giving too much away. And while he had a feeling that she wouldn’t go running back to the Time Master council with this information, he still didn’t trust that others would find out just how much this team meant to him. If people who wanted him dead or captured found out, they would use them to get him to surrender. And it would work. He knew that he would sacrifice his life to protect them. “We may fight and disagree quite a bit but that doesn’t mean that I will allow them to die. I’d rather die.”

“Damn straight,” Jax nodded along with him, a grin on his face. 

“Then how do you suggest that we get out of here?”

“I-” He started but a disturbance outside the door caught his attention. Some muffled thumps, and a few angry words echoed through the room. Rip shared a look with the other two, and climbed to his feet. He pulled Jax up and couldn’t stop himself from placing himself in front of the other two. Though he knew that if whoever was outside the door really wanted them, he wouldn’t stand a chance against them but his protective instincts overruled his common sense. 

A few tense seconds later, Rip nearly collapsed in relief when Martin and Leonard came into view. They both looked physically fine but Leonard seemed to be upset about something. A nasty feeling twisted in his gut, knowing what it was. Leonard didn’t say anything, moving to play with the control panel. Martin approached the door, carrying a gun, and wearing a strangely giddy smile.

“Care to join me on a daring escape, Captain?”

He couldn’t stop the relived laugh that came out. He should have realized that it was them coming to rescue them. It seemed that Jax was right. He should have more faith in his team.

“Space ranger,” Jax exclaimed, a giant smile on his face. Rip frowned at the odd reference but decided to let it go for now.

“Indeed,” He tilted his head in acknowledgement. Rip almost laughed again at the pairs ridiculousness. They were in the middle of a pirate ship and they were making jokes. Jax rushed forward once the door had been removed, to give the older man a hug. The man gave his partner a fond smile, and pet his head comfortingly. “Shall we go?”

“Wait,” Leonard spoke up and once again, Rip’s heart dropped. He knew what was coming and he was not looking forward to explaining it. “Where’s Mick?”

“He uh...” He stumbled, not ready to admit that he had pushed the man away, that his words had made the man leave with an unknown pirate. Now that he knew the two were Bonded, he knew that Leonard would not forgive him if Mick had been hurt because of him.

“Some pirate took him away,” Jax spoke up, sending him a look. It seemed that Jax didn’t blame him entirely for what happened between the two of them but Rip still couldn’t help but feel guilty. Would Mick still be here if he hadn’t said the hurtful words? “He had a gun so we couldn’t fight back,”

“Where’d they go?” The leopard growled out, his eyes narrowing in on Rip, like he knew what he was thinking. Like he knew that it was Rip’s fault for Micks disappearance. 

“I don’t know, but we _will_ find him,” He may not have been able to stop Mick from leaving, but he would be damn sure that he would help bring him back.

Leonard gave him a dirty look at that. “Yeah we will, because I am not leaving without him,”

“Neither are we, Mr. Snart, so you do not have to worry,” He reassured the snow leopard. He was not going to leave on of his team behind. Even if he had to drag the man off this ship, he would bring him home.

“I always worry about him,” Leonard seemed a bit reluctant to admit that, like Mick was reluctant to share his feelings. Rip wondered briefly how these two worked together and were Bonded if they had a hard time talking about their feelings. He knew that their feelings were connected so they didn’t really have to talk about them but it must be awkward and stressful at some times. To feel your partners feelings without knowing the reason behind them, would drive any person insane.

“Because you’re Bonded?” Jax didn’t seem to think that the thief wouldn’t want to talk about it, or he just couldn’t seem to understand his feelings. Martin made a surprised noise but he didn’t say anything. Not too surprising since he seemed to be one of the few that had common sense. He must have known that right now was not the time to talk about it.

The cheetahs question seemed to throw the man off a bit. “How’d you-”

“Mick told us.” Jax shrugged, but then his face fell and he looked worried. “Did...did you not want us to know?”

Leonard studied them and sighed. “No, it’s okay. It’s not like it was a secret or anything like that. I’m just surprised that he admitted it at all. He doesn’t like the fact that people place all these mushy feelings on the idea of Bonds.”

Jax snorted at that. “Yeah, he didn’t really seem like he wanted to talk about his feelings,”

“Listen, as much as I would like to continue this conversation, don’t you think that we should get going?” Martin spoke up from the side and Rip was glad he was here. They could end up standing here discussing things like Mick and Leonards Bond like last time and they would get no where.

“I agree with Martin,” Rip spoke up, his eyes moving around the group. “We need to split up. Mr. Snart, Jax and Martin can search for Mick while Ms. Baxter and I go to the bridge to have a chat with Mr. Valor,”

Leonard frowned at that, his entire attention turning to his captain. He seemed quite upset and Rip didn’t blame him. “Splitting up again? Look what happened last time. You all got captured and my partner was taken god knows where. Are you sure that it’s a good idea to split up again?” 

He couldn’t stand to look at the leopard without feeling guilty. “I know that it’s not ideal but someone needs to deal with Valor. We can’t find Mick if we are too busy fighting pirates,”

Leonard took a step closer, his anger filling the room. Rip nearly winced at the rush of emotions from the other man. He really needs to find a way to block out the others emotions. It was getting very distracting. “I thought you guys said that pirates took Mick?”

“ _One_ pirate took Mick. And they seemed to go in the opposite direction of the bridge so I have no idea where they went,”

Leonard eyed him with mistrust, as if he was lying. He didn’t really blame him for he had his own suspicions as well when the man took Mick away. Something wasn’t right and the sooner they gained control of the ship back, the sooner they can learn exactly what that is.

“Look, we can argue all day about whether or not it’s a good idea to split up, but we need to find a way off this ship,”

“Fine, whatever,” The man snarled at him and Rip knew that he was going to be very unpleasant when they got back to the Waverider. He turned and without another word, left.

“Don’t worry, Rip. We’ll keep an eye on him,” Jax clapped his shoulder as he passed. Martin gave him a somewhat reassuring smile. He watched them go, trying to prevent himself from thinking of all the bad things that could happen to them while they were gone. Enough has happened in the last few hours that he just wanted to get his team back to their ship safe. That thought provoked a very warm feeling in his chest. The thought that having his entire team, his family safe and sound on his ship, made him happy. Made him want to do whatever he had to to make sure that it happened.

“Let’s go,” Eve led the way through the ship with practiced ease. He really wished that he had his gun so that he could at least feel safer. He hated the idea that he would have to confront Valor without a weapon but he didn’t have much of a choice. He had an idea in mind of how to deal with the pirate captain but he didn’t really like it. He would need to use the other side of himself. He had remained in control the last time so maybe he could do it again. He was skeptical but he knew that it was his only option. He just hoped that Eve would not be caught in the crossfire.

It took him a few moments to realize that they were no longer heading towards the bridge. He stopped and frowned. “Where are we going?”

Eve stopped ahead of him and gave him a look that basically translated to ‘you don’t know?’. It just made him feel like an idiot. “Valor has implanted a virus into the computers so that he could gain control over Gilbert and essentially the ship. I need to restart the base computers in the engine room so that I can regain control.”

That made sense. If they could gain control of the Acheron, than they would have a much higher chance of surviving this encounter. Though there was one problem with her idea. “You won’t be able to do that if Valor is still in control of the bridge. He’ll know if you even approach the engine room.”

Rip knew that Eve had realized this but she seemed to have accepted this challenge. “We don’t have much of a choice. We need to take the risk.”

He hated to admit it, but she was right. They needed to gain control of the ship and this was the only way. But Valor could not be allowed to remain in the bridge or they would never be able to have complete control. Someone needed to deal with the man and Rips very bad idea was starting to look better. He would be able to confront Valor without worrying about Eve and her safety. He knew that Eve would be likely to allow him to do it, more so than his team. He just hoped that his stupid plan worked. “Maybe we don’t need to take the risk. We can do both at the same time. Can you fix the ship on your own?”

Eve’s eyes narrowed and he almost believed that she would not allow him to go through with his plan. “Please don’t tell me you’re thinking what I think you are thinking?”

He gave her a sheepish smile. “Maybe?”

She studied him for a moment, eyeing him like she was trying to dig into a brain. He let her, for he was used to being scrutinized by people. His team mates does it enough as it is for him to become immune to the kind of stare. But this was different. Eve looked mildly concerned for him and he believed that maybe, just maybe, they could really do this. She closed her eyes to think. A few moments passed before she spoke again. “Can you do it?”

“Yes,” He spoke with as much confidence as he could. He knew that he would have to do the one thing that he promised himself that he would never do but he wasn’t scared. He was...hesitant yes, but not scared. Maybe it could work this time.

His confidence made Eve sigh. She shrugged and threw up he hands in defeat. “Fine. Just don’t get yourself killed. I don’t want to be the one to tell your team.”

“I think I can manage that.” He gave her a nod and started to make his way back towards the bridge. He had thought that maybe he would get more nervous the closer he got to the bridge but instead, he got calmer, more steady. He wanted to blame it on the Kitsune inside but he couldn’t feel any of it’s influence in his mind. It could just be because they have melded together so much that they feel and think as one. Surprisingly enough, he wasn’t as concerned about that as he should have been. That should have raised a red flag in his mind but he was too focused on his mission to be bothered by something so trivial. His fox side was a part of him and it was time that he stopped being so afraid of it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip confronts Valor and he realizes that his earlier assumption was right. It was a blood bath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ......okay, listen. I didn't mean for this chapter to turn out quite like this. It was never meant to be this graphic. I had planned this chapter for Rip to just go in and subdue them with his Kitsune magic but when I sat down and actually began writing, this came out. I hope that none of you are squeamish because this is more graphic than previous chapters. 
> 
> Some of you are probably wondering why Rip's Kistune side is so violent and cruel, but I can't tell you just yet. That would be spoilers. But I can say that there _is_ a very specific reason for it. I've had the idea since I started writing this but I can say you will not find out until at least the Magnificent Eight episode area. So there is still some time before you find out the truth. But that just builds the suspense and makes you guys actually want to keep following this. I do have to say though, that I am pretty excited for it as well. I can't wait until I actually get to write it.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy.

It was surprisingly easy to get back into the bridge and he actually managed to stand in the doorway without any of the pirates noticing him. His eyes searched the room, taking in all the detail he could. Valor was at the main console, grumbling and growling under his breath. The others were either trying to work the other systems while others were just standing around uneasily. They could probably tell that something was off, but being the low life beings they were, they were not smart enough to figure it out. A Kitsunes presence always made people uneasy, especially when one did not know why they felt that way. 

“Why the hell is it taking so long to find one ship?” Valor finally snapped at the men around him. It seemed like he had finally lost his patience.

“With people as dumb as you lot, I’m not that surprised,” He couldn’t help but say. He smirked in satisfaction when every pirate whirled around to point their gun at him. It was quite a lot of guns but it didn’t concern him too much. He was more interested in the look of pure disbelief on Valors face. “What? Didn’t expect to see me so soon?”

“How did you escape?” The boar’s eyes flicked around, probably looking for his team mates. When he saw that Rip was alone, he relaxed and straightened up as if he was no challenge. Oh how wrong he was. He would realize his mistake of underestimating him.

He shrugged, not even bothered by his display. He would get his soon enough. “Like I said, a captain keeps his best weapons hidden. You should know better than anyone that you should never underestimate a cornered man,”

“You definitely are cornered. What were you expecting when you barged in here? That we would give up if you flashed a pretty smile and said please?” The mans words normally would have induced some amount of anger in him but all it did was make him even more amused.

“Oh no, of course not. I was rather expecting a fight.” He said, nonchalantly as he removed his brown coat. No need to get it covered in blood for it was a bitch to get out. He folded it neatly and placed it on a nearby ledge. He turned back to the pirates, some who seemed like they couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. They were way too confident in themselves and Rip was ready to show them their place.

Valor laughed, flashing a disgusting sneer. “A fight? Just you against all of us? What chance do you even have?”

“It’s pretty high now that I don’t have something that I had last time,”

The man crossed his arms and tried to look unimpressed, though some of his amusement was still present. “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“I don’t have to hold back. You have nothing to hold against me, and I can finally rid the world of some pests,” Rip smirked at him and he could tell that he was pressing all the wrong buttons.

Valor snarled at him, raising his gun to shoot at him. Rip decided that enough was enough. It was time to end this. He moved forward, forcing his Kitsune _out_ for the first time. Time seemed to slow as the change happened. The long golden ears grew, fluffing up his hair and the nine golden tails burst out from his tailbone, and spanned out behind him. His newly changed eyes caught every movement in front of him and he nearly sneered in disgust at the looks of fear and awe on the pirates faces. He saw Valors gun go off but he knew that it would miss. He was moving too fast for the energy bullet to even hit him. The change was unlike any before. It didn’t hurt, nor did he lose himself in the Kitsune mindset. He knew exactly what he was doing as he jumped onto the pirate captain. He registered the wide eyes, the sudden burst of fear and the too slow response as he stopped in front of the man. He slashed at the mans throat, eager to end him. For hurting his team, for making him doubt himself, for attacking this ship. For anything and everything that he has done. He would end this terror before he could hurt any more people.

Though, it seemed like the boar was having other ideas. He managed to twist right before the razor sharp claws cut into his throat, and Rip hit his cheek instead. The man growled in pain, scrambling away from him while clutching his bloody cheek. He looked like he couldn’t decide what he wanted to do. Stare in awe at the magnificent being in front of him or fight back. The other pirates were in the similar position. They were all staring at him like they have never seen anything like him. They probably haven’t as his species was so rare. He flashed them a toothy grin so that they could see that he was not scared of them. And if it showed of his deadly canines, then he wasn’t going to complain.

“Holy shit.” Valor couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the Kitsune standing in front of him. Before, Hunter was a man that was overcome by his own fear and backed down too easy. He was a weak man, someone that he didn’t even need to be concerned with. He seemed too afraid of himself to even register as a threat. He had been curious about the man after he had put on a show with a little bit of his magic. He was more curious though, in his physical appearance. He has been all over the time stream and has meet so many people but he has never seen someone with eyes as beautiful as his. Deep gold, like the purest of the metals, though there were flecks of his original green. The slitted pupils made him realize that he was more interesting then his fellow team mates. He had nearly flinched away at the sight of his teeth, looking sharp enough to cut just by touching. Even with just those attributes, Valor knew that he was something special. His entire appearance gave him the idea that maybe there was something more to this Time Master Captain than he had imagined. He was so curious to know but he had believed that he would have time later to discover all of his secrets. He could see now, with the immense amount of magic in the air and the strength that he obviously had, that he hadn’t even stood a chance against him. But it wasn’t in him to just going to roll over and surrender.

Rip stalked around the room, ignoring everyone but Valor. None of them were even strong enough to gain his attention at the moment so he kept his eyes on his biggest threat. The pig that didn’t know when to surrender. It was actually kind of funny to see the man pull himself to his feet with the intention of fighting him. He should have known that he was no challenge to the fox and yet here he was, ready to fight him. The other pirates seemed to have gotten over their awe and was copying their captain. He knew that if they attacked him, they would lose and there would be a bloodshed. But he couldn’t seem to come up with the emotions to care about that. They were pirates, criminals. It wasn’t like they were innocent. 

The first pirate made his move, more confident then his fellow crew members. He attacked from behind him, obviously hoping to get in a hit but Rip easily blocked the incoming attack with magic, lashing back at the man with a tail. The combined strength of the magic and his tail sent the man flying back into the wall, leaving a considerable dent. This caused a chain reaction in the other pirates, and they rushed him. They seemed so slow to him so it was easy to dodge their attacks and make his own, much more successful ones. He couldn’t stop the manic grin that grew on his face at the sight of the crimson blood that sprayed around the room as he tore into the pirates.

Within minutes, the number of pirates had been cut in half and others were barely breathing. By the time he had made it through several pirates, some of the others had realized that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to attack him. They started to get more and more nervous, backing away from him instead of approaching him. It didn’t save them but it was funny to see them try. He was right with his earlier assumption. It was a blood bath. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, torn up from his claws or his teeth almost painting the entire room red. Not to mention that he was covered in blood as well, almost dying his golden fur red. He wasn’t even breathing hard, nor was there even a single scratch on him. These pirates were hardly even worth his time. 

The man he was kneeling over was choking on his own blood as he struggled to breath, hands clutching at the deep lacerations in his stomach in an attempt to stop his guts from spilling out. All this bloodshed was exhilarating and he couldn’t stop a laugh from escaping. He hasn’t had this much fun in ages. In his mind, he knew that this is wrong, killing should never be fun but his instincts won over his thoughts. This felt too good to let go and he wondered briefly why he had ever been scared of his power when it made him feel like this. 

“You know, this just proves that I was right,”

He turned to gaze at the last pirate in the room. He had purposely avoided killing Valor because he wanted the satisfaction of killing his crew in front of him before he tore him to pieces. He wanted the man to feel the fear that his team had felt earlier. He wanted the man to _suffer _for what he has done. And it looked like it was working. The man stood tall and proud but the fox could see the slight trembles in his body. The air reeked with his fear and he was sure that if he even gave a growl, the man might piss himself. The man couldn’t hide anything from him. Talking to him in an attempt to distract him wasn’t going to work. He has already set his eyes on this target and he wasn’t going to escape.__

__“I told you that you were a killer, a murderer and you didn’t believe me. And yet here we are. You just killed thirteen people and you don’t even regret it do you? You show no remorse, no guilt and you call me a monster. That’s laughable,”_ _

__There’s that word again. _Monster_. So many people have labelled him with that word so much that he had begun to hate himself for what he was. He began to believe them, to think of himself as a monster. He grew so scared of himself that he refused to use his power, the power that could have saved his family. He was weak then, when he held the bodies of his family in his arms. He allowed a weaker man to take what was his because he was afraid. He was not going to be that weak ever again. He used to pretend that he wasn’t a monster, wasn’t a killer and here he was proving himself wrong. He needed to stop lying to himself. Stop fighting this. Things would be some much easier._ _

__“You’re wrong,” He spoke softly, nearly laughing when the man flinched. Man has always been weak to their instincts and Valor was showing just how true that was. Even though he was trying to act tough and brave, his actions spoke of a terrified man._ _

__“Oh? About what?” He didn’t seem to realize that the fox has already seen right through his bravado. He was inching towards the door, talking as if it would distract him from what was coming._ _

__His eyes flicked around the room, taking in the bodies and the blood. “It’s not thirteen,”_ _

__That seemed to surprise the man, for he stopped moving and was now looking at him confused. “What?”_ _

__“It’s not thirteen people that I have killed today. It’s fourteen,” Without another word, he dashed forwards ready to end this pointless fight. Valor yelped and jumped backwards, again causing Rip to miss. Rip growled in frustration, hating the fact that he would have to chase down his target. Any other time he would have loved to chase, to hunt down his prey but something else was on his mind. His family. They were on this ship with pirates. They were in danger and he needed to protect them. He would no longer be weak._ _

__Valor seemed to have gotten tired of just dodging his attacks and made his own attack. He pulled out a knife, because even if his Animalis was dangerous, it didn’t have the razor sharp claws or teeth that his did. He swiped at Rip wildly, desperately and Rip could stop the laugh that came out as he easily dodged the crazed attacks. This just seemed to make the man even more angry. He howled as he jumped forward, crashing into Rip with surprising force. His laughter seemed to have forced the man into a Berserk, snarling and growling as he attacked. The fox actually had to make some effort to dodge the mans attacks. He jumped across the room to place some distance between them. It seemed like this would not be as simple as he had first thought._ _

__The pirate captain snarled at him again and charged forward, very much so like his animal counter part. Rip sidestepped him and struck out with his foot. He hit the man in the side and sent him tumbling to the ground. He was up within seconds and charging at him again. It seemed like it would take more to put him down. He had refrained from using magic thus far to prevent himself from damaging the ship though it looked like he might have to change that. He allowed the magic to form on his hands and feet to make him quicker and stronger. He would not allow this man to win._ _

__He was not weak._ _

__He was not weak._ _

_He was not weak!_

__With a snarl of his own, he ran across the room and attack the man that needed to die. He ignored the hits that the pig had managed to make, pain an old friend of his. He managed to knock the man off his feet. He took this opportunity to jump on the man and pin him to the ground, one hand around his throat, the other digging into his chest above his heart. The boar roared in pain, bucking up to try and dislodge him. He swiped at him with his knife, cutting into his sides and his arms. He could ignore the pain as he knew that it was just his attempt at escape. But the fox would not allow it. This has gone on long enough. It was time that he took his family back home. He pressed his claws deeper into the mans flesh, relishing in the mans screams. The pirate tried to pry his hands off but Rip pinned the mans hands down with his tails. He dug deeper and finally reached his prize. He grinned down at the man below him. The mans rage had faded and was replaced with blinding fear. He was whining, and crying. Begging him for mercy. Mercy he wasn’t going to get. No one who hurts his family would get any kind of mercy. With one final tug, he held the mans heart in his hands. The blood dripped off his hands, the dark crimson clashing with the golden swirls on his skin. Valor gave one last whimper before falling still. Rip felt the mans life fade away and he threw the heart away in disgust. The man deserved a much more painful death than he got and if he would have had the time, he would have given it to him._ _

__“Jesus...”_ _

__Rip looked up from the pirates body to see the Time Master captain standing in the door. Rip knew that the woman was a friend, but his instincts were wary of the woman. She worked for the people who were trying to capture him. She could be an enemy. He climbed to his feet, watching as her eyes swept the room looking a bit green. She must not have seen much bloodshed in her time. Though, as he thought about it, it did look pretty bad. It would take one hell of a cleaning service to get it clean again, that’s for sure._ _

__“You said that you would deal with them but I didn’t know that it meant you would do this,” She waved around the room, and Rip had to admire her courage. She seemed like she didn’t want to be there but she stayed anyway. She was scared of him and yet she stood her ground._ _

__He decided that she was not a threat to him at the moment so he could relax. He retracted his Kitsune, knowing that the woman would feel more comfortable talking to him this way. He shuddered at the lack of magic and power, suddenly feeling even more tired than before. He could feel the faint throbbing of his wounds but the pain was minor compared to his exhaustion. He exhaled a breath before he spoke. “Are you disappointed?”_ _

__“I...no. I’m glad they’re dead for what they did to my crew but....wow.” She couldn’t seem to be able to take her eyes off him. “I guess I understand now why the Time Master council wants you back so badly if you have this kind of power.”_ _

__Rip frowned at that. He had no idea what she was talking about. He knew that he was wanted because he deserted the Time Masters but he hadn’t realized how much. “What do you mean?”_ _

__“It’s just that I have never seen them pursue someone this much. You are hardly the first to break away from the agency but you are the only one I know that they have put so much effort into catching. Though seeing what it is you are and what you can do, I’m not surprised.”_ _

__He didn’t know how to respond to that so he didn’t say anything at all. He moved over so that he could collect his coat from where he had placed it. He tried to avoid looking at what he had done. It wasn’t that he felt guilty for doing it. He knew that this would have ended bloody anyway but he just wished that he didn’t have to go to such extremes while dealing with them. He hated to leave a mess like this for Eve to clean up. Though there seemed to be a mess that he would have to clean up. He was covered in blood, both the pirates and his own. He knew that he would have a hard time explaining to everyone why he was covered in blood._ _

__“Here,” Eve handed him a rag and he took it gratefully._ _

__“Did you get into the computer?” He asked, trying to change the subject. He really didn’t want to talk about how he just murdered these pirates. He wiped off what he could and threw on his jacket to hide the rest. He couldn’t do much about the cuts all over his body from Valors knife but they were not too serious so he should be okay. He could deal with it when they got back to their ship. He knew that it would come out eventually, but for now he was happy that this was finally over._ _

__Eve hummed, as if she wasn’t going to let it go so easily. She was just like him, unable to let things go, especially when they interest them. But instead she let the subject of murder go, opting instead for a much more interesting question.“Yes, but what I want to know is how you managed to hide this for so long,”_ _

__“Hide what?” He made sure that he hadn’t gotten any blood on his jacket, but he knew that he seemed like he was trying to avoid the question. Well, he was but he knew that Eve had already guessed what he was trying to do. He wasn’t really close to Eve and yet he felt like if she asked him, he would tell her. He didn’t know why but after this, he felt that maybe he could trust her._ _

__“Hide that you are a...I’m sorry. I don’t really know what it is you are. It looked like some sort of fox but normal foxes don’t have more than one tail,” She tried to keep her tone light but she could tell that Rip was affected by what had just happened. How much he was affected though, was not something she could tell._ _

__Rip paused in his work. He knew that he should tell her, that it could be too dangerous for her to know but she has already seen what very few have. It couldn’t hurt much. “...I’m a Kitsune. It’s a Mythical type with Japanese origins.” He knew that he really shouldn’t be telling her this but there were very few people that he has actually told willingly. She seemed like someone he could trust._ _

__“I see.”_ _

__Rip turned to the door pulling his jacket closed, eager to go and find his team. He prayed that they were alright, prayed that they had found Mick alright. The worst was over, and they could finally leave. After this, he was going to take the next few days off. The team deserved it and if he was honest, he needed a break. He knew that his team would not argue on this decision._ _

__“It’s beautiful you know,”_ _

__Rip paused, halfway out the door. He must have heard wrong or she was talking about something else entirely because she could not mean what he thought she meant. “What?”_ _

__She sighed, probably knowing that this would be a hard conversation to hold with the ex-Time Master. “Your Animalis. It’s beautiful. I don’t think that I have seen anything quite like this,”_ _

__“Why are you telling me this?” His voice was quiet, and Eve must have heard his doubt in his voice._ _

__“It seems like you need it,”_ _

__He laughed bitterly. The excitement of the fight was gone, his exhaustion was catching up to him and he just wanted to go back to the Waverider so that he could sleep the rest of the day away. “I need to be told that my monster is beautiful? Why?”_ _

__“Because you see it as a monster.”_ _

__“Because it is!” He whirled around to glare at her. She obviously did not see what he just did or she would not be saying this. “Or have you not seen the carnage that has just taken place? That monster did this and I let it. And, and this is the part that really gets to me. _I don’t care_. I don’t care that I just murdered fourteen people, tore them apart like they were nothing. I’ve killed before but it’s never felt like this. I’ve never felt quite like a monster until now,”_ _

__Eve studied him calmly, letting him rant. She had a feeling that he has never been able to talk to someone about this. Has never had anyone tell him that he wasn’t a monster. She has seen true monsters and he was nothing like them. Yes, he killed people, and yes he could have done it another way but he killed those pirates to protect his team. Something that monsters would never do. Though it seemed like he was dedicated to thinking that he was a monster. She would not stand for it. Someone like him should be proud of his power, not scared of it Especially when they were on such a dangerous mission. She moved quickly to his side, grabbed his arm and pulled him closer so that she could look him in the eye._ _

__“Listen to me very carefully, Rip Hunter. You are not a monster, nor do you deserve to be treated as one. I have seen horrible, horrible monsters and you are nowhere near it. I don’t know what you have gone through in your life, and I can not say that I know you very well, but you should not let it hold you back. What I saw when I walked in was not a monster. It was a man, desperate to protect those he cares about. A monster doesn’t care, can’t care. You are not a monster,” She said sternly, just daring him to challenge her. When he didn’t respond she sighed. “Now, lets go find you team. After that, I’ll give you the updates and you can go on your way,”_ _

__She turned on her heel and left Rip staring after her in surprise. The only people that have told him that he wasn’t a monster was Gideon and Carter. Now this woman, who he has just met, is telling him the complete opposite of what he has been telling himself all these years. Who was he to believe now when his beliefs are being challenged? He didn’t want to think on that right now so he followed the captain out of the room and didn’t look back._ _


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter filled with pain. It actually hurt to write this. It seems like my story is nothing but pain for the whole team. I hope that I can write happier chapters soon.
> 
> Another thing, I am going to move my posting days to Friday because it fits this semesters schedule better than Thursdays. So next Friday, I will post a new chapter, which will be from Mick's point of view. I was going to wait until they got Mick back to post the chapter but I figured that some of you would want to know what had made Mick betray them, and break the Bond with Leonard.

Because Gilbert was still rebooting, they could not use him to find his team. So they had to do it the old fashioned way. They ran into a few pirates but they were quickly dispatched by Eve. He was surprised at her accuracy and her reflexes. Normally, Time Masters were not the ones that were good in accuracy or any kind of violence. That was left to the Hunters and Bounty Hunters like Chronos. He would have liked to help her but she waved him off, saying that he has handled enough and it was her turn to protect them. The deeper into the ship they went, the fewer the pirates they encountered. The awful feeling he had earlier had returned and he had a really bad feeling that something was about to happen.

But that was not the only thing that was still bothering him. He has not heard anything from his team since they left the bridge. He had tried to use the comms but either they were turned off or something was interfering with the signal. He didn’t like the idea of either of those and hoped that it wasn’t something serious. He just wanted to find his team, why was that so hard? If he hadn’t suppressed his Kitsune, he probably would have been able to find his team without even leaving the bridge but he has already used it too much. He had a feeling that the more he used it, the easier it would become for him to sink into the monsters mind and harder to pull himself out. So he would have to rely on the old fashioned method of looking for them.

“We’ll find them. There are only a few places to check. Let’s head to the docking bay next,” It was nice that Eve was trying to reassure him but it was just making him more nervous. He was on edge, constantly looking around for an imaginary enemy that would jump out at them. His muscles were beyond sore and his mind was tired and yet he pushed himself to keep going. His team needed him and he wasn’t going to let any kind of exhaustion stop him from being there when they need him. Look what happened last time. One of their own had been hurt and he would be damned if he let it happen again.

Eve stopped him, placing a hand on his arm. She had her head tilted as she listened to something that he couldn’t hear. He tried to strain his ears to listen but while he was still human, his senses were not quite as strong. Though, as they slowly moved closer to the docking bay, it didn’t take long before Rip could hear what she did. A soft murmur of voices, one recognizably Micks. At the knowledge that the dragon was safe, he could feel himself relax. He felt like he could stop worrying but someone else was with Mick, that someone who had taken him away in the first place. 

He couldn’t stop himself from rushing into the room, ignoring Eve’s exclamation. He would end the man who had dared to take his family away from him. He didn’t stop, even as the door banged against the wall. Both mans attention turned to him as he stormed into the room. The pirate who took Mick away from them looked at him in mild surprise and Mick...Mick looked devastated, though it looked like he was trying to hide it. Just that look made Rip want to tear this man apart like he had of the others. But as he reached into his power, he found he didn’t have any energy left. He must have used all of it when he had taken the Pirate captain on. He swayed on his feet in sudden exhaustion. He felt Eve grab his arm to keep him steady and he was grateful for it. He would hate to fall on his face in front of Mick. He would never live it down. 

“You don’t look too good, Captain Hunter? Something happen?” The man seemed oddly pleased with that, though his voice held an underlying curiosity. God, the man pissed him off. His voice sounded like some unoriginal villain and he looked like a punks wardrobe just vomited all over him. Being in his presence was making him ill.

“Yeah, your captain is dead,” He snarled at the man, pulling his arm out of Eve’s grasp. He straightened up, and glared at the man. He should know that it is never a good idea to hurt the people he cares about. He shot a glance at Mick, who wasn’t even looking at him. He was looking at the floor, with a defeated look in his eyes. What the hell has that man done to his team mate to make him like this?

The man blinked in surprise. He raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled. “Jon Valor is dead? Well, what do ya know. That stupid bastard is finally dead. How’d you do it?”

Rip wasn’t even going to ask how he knew that it was him that did it and not Eve. It really didn’t matter right now. “Ripped his heart out,”

He hummed, sweeping his eyes over Rip. “Did you really? It seems like I underestimated you. But it’s not going to stop me from leaving. I have another mission to complete.” He turned and boarded the ship. Mick followed him, like he didn’t have a choice. 

“Mick!” He cried out, unable to stop himself. Mick stopped in the door and turned back to Rip. He wouldn’t just leave like that would he? Why would he leave this team, much less Leonard? It just didn’t seem like something Mick would do willingly.

Speaking of the devil, the leopard flew through the door, a horrified look plastered on his face. “Mick! What the hell have you done?”

Mick remained silent but he seemed to know what he was talking about. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, a strange look of confidence in his eyes. He stared right at Leonard when he spoke. “I destroyed what I should have gotten rid of ages ago,”

“You destroyed our Bond, dammit! I’m going to need more than that. You said...” Leonard stopped and Rip was surprised to see that there were tears in his eyes. He just said that Mick had destroyed their Bond which must have hurt. But why? It still didn’t make any sense. Unless the other man had something to do with it. “When we created our Bond you said that you would rather die than lose it. What the hell happened to you to make you break that promise?”

Mick’s expression did not change, seemingly numb. “I had only formed the bond in the first place to get what I want. Which is money, and power. But I realized that I don’t need you to get what I want. I could get it on my own all this time. I will no longer be your henchman, nor will I be fooled by your pretty lies. I’m going to get what I deserve.”

“You’re lying,” Rip winced at the Leonard's absolutely broken voice. He sounded like he was barely holding it together. Micks words were cutting deeper than anyone has ever done before. The leopard didn’t even try to stop the tears now. “Mick please,”

“Goodbye Snart,” Without another glance, he turned and entered the jumpship. Leonard gave a soft whimper and started forward, intent on getting Mick to listen to him, to have a chance of getting him back. The pirate would not have it. He raised his gun at Leonard but it didn’t seem to bother the thief. He continued forward and probably would have kept going until the man shot him, if it wasn’t for Jax and Martin. They grabbed his arms and held him back. The man tried to fight against them but either he was more affected by the breaking of the Bond and of Micks words or he knew that it would do no good to wind up dead. He collapsed to his knees, the tears falling freely now and Rip wanted nothing more that to tear the people who hurt him and Mick apart. Though it seemed like he would not get the chance to do so for the man was following Mick onto the jumpship.

Rip couldn’t just leave it at that. He couldn’t just let this man win. He stepped forward to demand answers, knowing that he probably would not get them. “Who are you? And what mission were you speaking of?”

The man stopped and smirked at him. “That doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that your time is coming, Rip Hunter. You can fight it all you want, but soon enough the Time Masters will get what they want. They always do,”

Rip watched with a heavy heart as the ship took off, feeling like he should have done more. He should have. He could have tried harder to protect Mick, should never have said those horrible things to him. He hated it, hated the fact that Leonard was in pain. He had to placed his hands over his ears as Leonard’s pain echoed through the room as he howled in sadness.

_I’m sorry._

Leonard’s howls continued on and Rip heard him hitting the floor over and over again. He could feel his own eyes burning as Leonard's pain affected him.

_I’m sorry. This is all my fault._

Jax stepped forward and dropped to the floor next to the leopard. He wrapped his arms around the thief and the howls died down to small whimpers. Their tails ended up intertwined and Jax tried to sooth the man. Normally, Leonard would have shrugged off any kind of comforting touch, but either he didn’t notice, or he didn’t care because he allowed Jax to hold him.

_I’m sorry. They hurt you because of me. They are after me, not Mick._

Jax managed to coax the man to his feet and led him in the direction of their jumpship. He sent a look to Rip, his gaze briefly flicking to Eve. Rip nodded because he knew that she would not do anything to them. They seemed to have an understanding. And Leonard needed to be in the safety of their ship before he fell apart. He would need the teams support if he was going to make it out of this in a stable mindset. He wanted nothing more than to join them but he needed to get what they had come here for. He didn’t want this mission to be for nothing. They have gone through so much hell to get it, and he wasn’t going to leave without them. But this hell, this pain that his team had to go through, was unacceptable. He knew that these updates that he had come for, was not worth losing his team mate.

_They would pay for hurting them. He would make sure of it._

He let out a breath that he wasn’t aware he was holding. This was obviously the work of the Time Masters. Though he couldn’t quite understand why they would take Mick and not him. He was their target, not Mick. There must be some underlying reason for it. Maybe they wanted him to suffer before they did whatever it was they wanted him for. 

“I’m sorry,”

He didn’t need to look at the other captain to know that she meant it. Imagine that, a Time Master caring. Before he left, he held the same kind of thought processes, that a Time Masters duty was to complete the mission without intertwining personal feelings. Because Time Masters were not allowed personal feelings. They are meant to be soldiers, and follow orders. Not allow a wanted ex-Time Master to gain access to AI updates and then allow them to leave.

But that’s what she did. She was holding a slim piece of equipment out to him, and he tilted his head in confusion. “It’s the updates. I made a copy when I was down in the main computer,”

“Why didn’t you give it to me before then?” He took the device before she could change her mind.

“Because I was going to see what it was that you have with you team to make you risk your life for them. I wanted to see...I don’t know,” She shook her head and turned away. She seemed to be struggling with something and he wanted to help her through it. But he needed to get Leonard back to the ship. She seemed to realize this and turned back to him. “I’m sorry again. You should get back to your team. They need you right now,”

He nodded his thanks and turned to leave before she decided that she wanted to take him in instead. He made it halfway to the jumpship before she called out to him. He froze, ready to run if the need arose.

“I won’t tell the council about this. Mainly because I will get in shit for letting you go. But also because you don’t need the extra stress. Good luck, Rip Hunter,”

“And to you as well,”

When he finally stepped onto the jumpship, he knew that something was very wrong. Jax was pressed against the leopards side, rubbing his shoulder and murmuring to him quietly. Which was probably not working for Leonard was sitting so still, staring at the opposite wall with a blank look. He didn’t seem to notice anything that was going on around him. Martin seemed to realize the same thing as he did for he was standing off to the side, staring at the thief in worry. He seemed like he wanted to copy Jax’s actions and comfort the leopard but he must have known that it wouldn’t be a good idea to smother the big cat at the moment. Right now they needed to get him back to the others. 

He slid into the pilots seat and started it up. He shot a look back at the others but the only one to react was Martin. He gave Rip a worried look and it just made him more worried. And more upset. This should not have happened. This should not have hurt his team, nor should it have split them. He should have done more, should have protected them. He shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for him to sink into that kind of mindset. He had more important things to think of right now.

He connected the comms with the ones on the Waverider, praying that someone would answer. He may not know the exact position of his ship but the jumpship had a homing beacon that would guide it back. But he didn’t want to wait until they returned to the ship to find out if the rest of his team was alright. He didn’t know the extent of the damage in the hull, but he prayed that his team was alright. The comms rang. And rang. His heart began to sink when no one responded. He wasn’t too late. He couldn’t be. They needed to be safe, they had to be. If they weren’t-

“What the hell happened out there?”

A whoosh of breath escaped Rip as he heard Sara’s voice come over the line. Normally, her hard tone would have made him a bit nervous, but all it did was make him incredibly happy just to hear her voice. 

“Sara, you’re safe,”

“Yeah we’ll all fine. Almost got frozen to death when your ship decided to lock us in the room with the hole in the hull,” She sounded bitter, and he knew that this missions outcome would not be easy to break to her. She had been pretty close with the pair of thieves.

“That would be the emergency systems trying to protect the rest of the ship,” Rip murmured. He knew that some of the emergency protocols could be a bit...extreme and he probably should have warned them about some of them. He’ll do it later. “I’m guessing you got the hole patched up,”

“Yeah but what I am more worried about is what happened with you guys. All we know is that you boarded, then half hour later, we were contacted and told that you guys were being held hostage. Then for some reason, Gideon decided to leave and did all this complicated stuff. Start explaining.”

“Short version?”

“That would be best. You can tell us the details later,”

“Okay then,” Rip sorted through the recent events and decided that the simple version would probably be the best option. “Basically, we got on board and were ambushed by pirates. We were brought to the bridge, contacted the Wavrider where I initiated some protocols to get you guys out of here. I knew it was the only chance of making sure that the rest of you got out of here. I just didn’t think that they would manage to actually hit you guys. After you guys managed to get away, we were sent to the brig where we were soon rescued by Martin and Mr. Snart, and we made our way off the ship.”

“And the Time Master Captain just let you go?” She sounded doubtful and he had a feeling that she would dig into his story and tear it apart the moment they got back to the ship.

“Yeah. She even gave us the updates that we needed,”

“Just like that?” Now, she just sounded like she didn’t believe a single word he was saying. She must think that he was lying to her. He had no need to lie to her though. He may have left a few things out but he didn’t lie.

“Well, we did rescue her and her ship so she saw it as only fair,”

“Oh, I’m sure she did.” The doubt was very clear in her voice and he hated the fact that he was just going to bring back some more bad news. It seemed like she had already had a bad day and he was just going to end up making it worse for all of them. 

“I’ll explain everything later, I promise. We are almost there anyway,”

“You better explain. I think we all deserve an explanation.” Without another word, she disconnected and he sighed. This was getting complicated and he wished he could tell them what was going on. But to be honest, he didn’t really know either. The Time Council was after him, for more than just deserting, the reason still unknown. Though they had the perfect chance to take him when their agent was on the Acheron and yet they took Mick? Why? It didn’t make any sense at all. There were so many questions on his mind right now and he had no answers. Eve had said that they were pursuing him more than any other criminal right now and that raised a lot of flags. Again, he had to ask why? What was so special about him and Mick that they want to get their slimy hands on them? Was it because of what they are? Or was there another reason? He could spend weeks just thinking over the reasons why the Time Masters would want them but he didn’t have the time for that right now. He was pulling into the Waveriders loading bay right now and he needed to make sure that Leonard was going to be okay.

The moment the jumpship touched down, the doors were lowered and Jax pulled the snow leopard out of the tiny ship. Rip took his time shutting down the ship and making sure that everything was in order. He knew that he was stalling because he didn’t want to have to explain what had happened with Mick but he knew that he must. His team deserved to know what happened and why it happened. While he didn’t know why, he could tell how. And wouldn’t that be fun?

“Captain?”

Rip looked up from where he had been staring at the console to see Martin staring at him in concern. “Ah, sorry. I just got lost in my head for a moment.”

“It’s quite all right Captain. It’s been a stressful day for all of us, you most of all. It’s quite understandable if you are tired,” Martin was still looking at him in concern and Rip really wished that he didn’t. He was not the one suffering right now and yet the rabbit was worrying about him.

“Thank you Martin, for your understanding but I am beyond tired. I’m dead exhausted but I know that I will not be able to rest until the rest of the team is filled in on what happened,” He knew that those words would not soothe the mans worries but he was tired of lying to this team.

“If you would like, I could tell them-”

“No,” Rip interrupted. He would like nothing more than to let Martin handle it, but he was captain, and it was his responsibility. “I’ll do it. They should have the full story,”

Martin nodded but Rip could tell he was still concerned. It was nice to see that someone cared enough about him to stick around when he seemed off, even if he didn’t like the idea that the man was more concerned about him then the leopard who was close to falling apart. He sat for a few more moments before deciding to just get it over with. He pushed himself to his feet but immediately swayed. The world spun around him and he stumbled back into the seat. He groaned, placing his hands over his eyes to stop the spinning. 

“Captain?”

He barely managed to hear the worried words over the ringing in his ears. It seems like he had forgotten that he had been injured during his fight with Valor. While not extremely serious, the slow bleeding from the knife wounds was taking its toll. He breathed through his mouth to combat the nausea. He wondered briefly why he was just feeling it now when it had been more that half hour since he had fought with Valor. He should have had the symptoms before now and he couldn’t blame it on adrenaline. 

He flinched when he felt a cool hand touch his forehead. He lowered his hands and looked at Martin in confusion. Martin was looking even more concerned. He said something to him but his words were jumbled and he couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. After a few moments, Rip realized he had asked a question but he had been too slow to respond to it. Martin frowned before grabbing his arm and pulling him back to his feet. He closed his eyes as his dizziness almost made him puke. The rabbit slung his arm around the fox’s waist and pulled his captains arm around his shoulder. He kept talking but his words didn’t really make much sense. He allowed himself to be lead out of the jumpship. He trusted Martin not to take him somewhere dangerous. Though why would Martin go somewhere dangerous? There wasn’t anywhere on the Waverider that were especially dangerous unless you were stupid and didn’t know what you were doing. Though most of his team wouldn’t know the difference between the time drive and the antimatter energy generator. Well, maybe Martin would.

He must have been really out of it because they made it all the way to the med bay without him noticing. How he had managed to actually get onto the jumpship without feeling any symptoms was surprising. He was really feeling it now. Dizziness, nausea, headache, and an achy body. All symptoms of bloodloss. He hadn’t thought that he was bleeding that badly. 

Martin eased him onto one of the uncomfortable med bay chairs and began fussing around him. He placed the medical bracelet around his wrist and began doing something with the screen next to the chair. He wondered how he knew how to do this, and when he learned because he was sure that he had not taught the rabbit. Maybe Gideon taught him. No, Gideon would not do anything without asking him for permission.

“Jesus,” The man whispered, his words still muffled. “How the hell did this happen to you?”

“What happen?” His words were slurred and he was sure he forgot a few words.

Martin was still fussing around him and it was starting to make him even more dizzy just watching him bounce around. That was funny. Because he was a rabbit. “You are all cut up. They are not too serious but could cause a lot damage it not treated. What did you do, get in a fight with a weed whacker?”

“Pig actually. He had a knife, got mad,” He was having trouble staying conscious and it seemed like Martin could tell.

“Gideon can work on cauterizing the cuts and I’ll begin a blood transfusion now. You’ll be better in no time, Rip,” He gave Rips arm a squeeze, trying to comfort him.

“Mm-Kay,” He murmured. He felt really tired but he also felt like he should be doing something, something really important. He couldn’t waste time lying here. He needed to...he couldn’t remember. But it was important. He knew that. But he just couldn’t seem to find the energy to get up and do it. “Wait. Wha...about Len...? Make sure okay,”

Martin looked at the sleepy captain fondly. Even if Rip denied it, everyone could tell that he cared about this team. “I will. I promise. Just rest, captain. You can deal with everything later. I will do my best to tell everyone what happened and you can fill in anything I missed.”

He couldn’t tell if he responded to the older man, his mind drifting as Gideon administered some pain killers and anesthetic. He would have preferred to go without painkillers because they always make his head fuzzy. It didn’t matter much now because his head was already fuzzy. It seemed like he had lost more blood than he had first thought. Both his body and his mind grew heavy as the drugs took hold. He wondered as he fell victim to the drugs, if Sara would be mad when she didn’t get the answers she wanted right away. He hoped not. He didn’t want the canary to be upset at him. She shouldn’t be upset anymore.

That thought followed him into unconsciousness and his dreams were filled with images of a small white bird, chirping angrily at him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of the Acheron told from Micks point of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make up for having to wait an extra day for this chapter, I have made it extra long. It had gotten long enough that I had wanted to cut it in half to match the other chapter lengths but I wanted Micks point of view all in one chapter so I left it. I was actually also kind of doubtful of whether or not I should post this now, or after they got Mick back. But I figured most of you would want to know what actually happened with Mick. So here you go.
> 
> Also, to all those who have commented, left kudos and bookmarked this work, thank you so much. Even a little bit of encouragement like a kudo gives me motivation to write. So thank you all for giving me motivation to continue on with this story.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and see you next Friday.

When Rip had suggested that they board the disabled ship, Mick was glad for he would finally get to see some action. He hated being cooped up without anyway to deal with his...urges. This entire mission was a roller coaster of ups and downs with many opportunities to let loose with his flames without worrying about getting arrested. Not that he ever really worried about it before, but this time it was almost encouraged. Despite being scolded by Rip every so often about burning the wrong things or wrong people, it was actually pretty nice.

While the others were hesitant to go along with Rip’s plan, Mick thought that it was probably the best option for them. He knew that the best way to get information was to either go right to the source and force it out of them, or go to the next best thing. This ship, who would have the thingy for the thingy, was the next best thing for their mission. He was glad that he didn’t have to force himself onto the boarding team for Rip had wanted him to go along anyway. Though, his partner didn’t seem to want to let him go alone. The man worried too much about things that were not important enough to worry about. Lenny forced his way onto the team but it seemed like Rip didn’t want to argue with the leopard. He didn’t really blame him for that.

“This is a really bad plan,” Lenny said as they walked back to their quarters to grab whatever it was they might need. Mick could feel his doubt, his hesitation and his worry, though none of it showed on his face. The man had gotten really good at masking his emotions. If they were not Bonded, then he would never be able to tell what the man was thinking.

“I don’t know Lenny. It might work out for the better. Plus, we might actually get to see some action,” Mick sent the man a grin, wild and excited. 

Lenny rolled his eyes fondly, unable to stop the small smile from growing on his face. Mick has always had a wild personality, one that is hard to contain. When they had met, Mick was a wild card. Unpredictable and dangerous, Len was immediately drawn to him. Maybe having someone like this by his side would be good for he has always been on the small size, something his father had taken advantage of. They hit it off automatically and three years later when they got out of juvie, they Bonded. It was one of the best decisions of their lives. And while they did have arguments and spats every now and then, they would still do anything to keep each other safe. 

“Let’s just hope that Hunter knows what he’s doing,” Lenny rifled through his stuff, grabbing a few knives and other things that he thought they might need. All Mick needed was his heat gun and his fireproof suit and he was good to go. He made sure to tuck his tail into his pants and pressed his wings flat against his back. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it was the safest thing to do. Mick couldn’t stop himself from enjoying the view when the man bent down to go through a box. 

“When does he ever know what he’s doing?” He approached the big cat, scooping him up and wrapping his arms around the mans waist. He smirked when the man made a small noise of surprise. If anyone else had done this, they would be on the ground bleeding out.

“Good point. Good thing that we are going with them or else they could get into some trouble,” Lenny tried to pull out of the dragons grasp but Mick held tight. When he realized that Mick wasn’t going to let go, he stopped trying to get away.

“I don’t know about that,” Mick grinned, running his nose along the smaller mans neck, breathing in his unique scent. It was one of his favourite things in the world. Fire and Lenny. “We would probably just make the trouble ourselves.”

Lenny laughed at that, his body relaxing in his arms. This was one of the only places where he felt truly safe. He turned in the mans arms so that he could hook his arms around the man’s neck and pull him closer. “Oh most likely, with you on board. You are nothing but trouble,”

“Because it’s more fun being trouble,” Mick took the initiative to duck his head and pull his mate into a deep kiss. They haven’t really gotten this intimate recently, especially recently with the particle accelerator explosion and the appearance of meta humans and the Flash. After what had happened with Lenny's father, they had promised not to leave each other when they fought. Mick would never do that again anyway. Lenny had gotten hurt and he was nowhere near when Lenny needed him. He wouldn’t allow it to happen again. 

It was Lenny who pulled away from the kiss, breathing slightly faster with a slight flush on his cheeks. He always looks amazing when he gets turned on and Mick wanted nothing more than to throw the man onto the bed and have his way with him, fuck the mission. 

Though it seemed like Lenny knew exactly what he was thinking for he pulled out of his arms and shook his head. “Sorry Mick. As much as I would like to continue this, we have a job to do. We should get down to the jumpship before Hunter loses his cool,”

Mick snorted at that. Lenny and his puns. He always seems to have the need to have one on hand just in case. Mick knew that he must have a book of puns somewhere because he could not be coming up with them by himself. “Fine fine. But when we get back, I’m not letting you leave this room until I’ve had my fill,”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Lenny leaned in close to give him a quick kiss before he was out the door. Mick watched him go, his eyes drifting down to the mans fantastic ass before catching up to him. The smaller man sent him a look that told Mick that he had been caught. Not that it bothered him much. He was always admiring the man.

They didn’t have to worry about having Rip upset at them for taking their time for when they arrived at the jumpship, he was no where in sight. Jax and Martin were there, deep in discussion about one thing or another. Though as they approach, the talking stopped and both halves of Firestorm turned to them.

“Where’s Hunter?” Lenny asked, taking his place in the co-pilot seat. Of course he would sit there. Lenny always needed to be in control so this was no different.

“No idea. He said he had to go grab a few things before we left,” Jax had shrugged but he kept looking at as if expecting the captain to appear. As far as Mick was concerned, the kid should be staying behind. They were walking into an unknown situation and it could be dangerous. He knew that the kid could protect himself when he had his partner to fuse with but what would happen if they got separated? What then? Even though this team has not been together for very long, Mick felt a strange...protectiveness over them. Not the same way that he was protective over Lenny, but he would definitely kill anyone who would dare to hurt them.

A few minutes later, Rip finally arrived. Mick looked him over and noticed that he was now carrying a gun on a thigh holster and a box in his hand. He apologized to the group, sitting in the pilots seat before passing all of them what appeared to be a comm system. He stuck his in his ear, frowning at the uncomfortable feeling, still not used to having anything in his ear. A few minutes after they left the Waverider, Sara contacted them, being her normally bossy self. Mick rather liked her. She had fire.

The boarding went pretty well, considering that they got onto the ship without being noticed. This seemed a bit weird but what did he know about Time Masters? Maybe they are all oblivious like Rip was. Either way, they got on board without a problem. The ship barely touched the ground before he was out the door. He heard Rip call out to him but he didn’t stop. He wanted to fight, to do anything other than spend another moment sitting and twiddling his thumbs.

Of course, Rip took control once they were out of the little ship. He placed the dragon and his partner with the duty of searching the ship. Hopefully he would find someone he could roast. Maybe even something valuable he could steal. He barely listened to what the tiny captain had to say before he and his partner went their own way. 

He noticed quite early on that the ships were not that similar. They ended up down several hallways and somehow wound up in the personal quarters section. They didn’t come across anyone, which both of them found a bit odd. But Lenny didn’t let it bother him too much, interested in searching the rooms for anything he found useful. Mick kept watch while he did that, his eyes roaming over the details of the ship noticing the differences. There was no sign of a fight, nor any sign that something was wrong. This whole situation seemed weird to him and he was beginning to think that maybe his partner was right. That this whole thing was a trap. He didn’t know what it was exactly but something was off. His instincts were telling him to go find the others, to stick together so that if trouble did happen, they could deal with it together. 

“We should go find the others.” Mick rumbled, his eyes flicking back to his partner, who was going through a computer thingy. He had found it while going through one room, looking for anything of value. Lenny called it multitasking, searching for any explanation for the state of the ship and looking for anything they could make money off of.

“Why? There’s still so many places to look,” He didn’t look up from what he was doing, too into whatever it was that was on the screen. Mick didn’t bother understanding whatever it was. His strength has never been on technical side. He was more of a doer, than a thinker.

“We haven’t met any people and I doubt they keep any of their valuables here,” Mick doubted that they had any valuables anyway, going by the state of the room. The entire sip, from what they have seen, seemed kind of....simple. Just the basic necessities. Nothing like Rips ship. This was just another difference between Rip and the other Time Masters, from what Mick could tell. This made Mick more curious as to what Rip’s deal was. Why he was afraid of himself, afraid of power and why he was so afraid of opening up. He may not be the most in tune with his own feelings but he still knew what it was that he wanted. He wanted a family, people who he can trust enough that he could be himself and not be afraid. He had a feeling that this team would be the ones to do that.

“You don’t know that. If you want to go check on the others, go ahead. I’ll continue looking,” The words were murmured, calm and collected as silver eyes scanned over whatever data was in front of him. His spotted leopard tail was swinging slowly behind him. Mick didn’t know if the man actually knew what it was that he was reading but either way, it seemed like he wasn’t going to leave. Which brought up many disagreements in the dragon.

“I’m not going to leave you alone for someone to get the drop on you,”

That got Lenny's attention for he turned to the arsonist with a raised eyebrow. “Really? Do you doubt my skills that much? I’ll be fine. Go make sure that the rest of them are as well,”

He had that look in his eyes like he was set on his decision and no matter how much Mick would try to change his mind, he wouldn’t. He has seen this look many times and he has learned the hard way that it would do him no good. He should just do as his Bond mate suggested and go find the others. “Fine, but if I even feel a hint of nervousness from you, I will come back and drag you back with me.”

“Yeah yeah, go. I’ll let you know if I find anything interesting,” Lenny turned his attention back to the screen, waving him off.

Mick hesitated for a few moments before leaving the man behind. He hated that he was leaving the man behind on an enemy ship but his mind was telling him to go to his other team mates, that something was going to happen. His Bond with the leopard would let him know if anything happened to the man but the fact that something could happen and his partner could wind up dead before he got there was also a possibility. A possibility that he hated. He would just have to trust that his partner would be able to handle himself and stay out of trouble.

Rip and the kid were not to hard to find. They weren’t exactly being stealthy so it was easy for him to sneak up behind the two of them. He was actually kind of amusing to see the ever so steady captain jump, though the gun pointed at his face was a bit concerning.

“Didn’t mean to scare you, English,” Mick grinned at the man. Of course, the smaller man acted like he totally didn’t just jump like a little kid at his first haunted house. He tried to change the subject and their conversation dissolved into where Lenny was and somehow he ended up telling them that the two of them were Bonded. It wasn’t like it was a secret but the two of them seemed surprised. Especially the Englishman. He could see the man scan him over and he would have laughed. He knew what he was looking for but he wasn’t going to find it. His Bond Mark was no where someone could accidentally see it. It wasn’t as if he was embarrassed. It was Lenny's idea to keep them hidden and honestly, he didn’t care much as long as he was Bonded to the man he cared about more than anyone else.

“Well, isn’t this a touching scene?”

The unknown voice plus Rips pained yelp caused Mick to raised his heat gun to whoever it was that had hurt his captain. The man had Rip by his wrist, kneeling on the ground with a gun pressed to the back of his head. The mans face was twisted in pain but Mick could see that he was trying not to show it. The dragon raised his gun at the man, ready to roast him if he even scratched his captain.

“Drop your weapons and surrender, or your friend here gets one in the back of his head,”

Mick really didn’t want to give up so easily, especially for someone who wouldn’t even thank him for it. But it seemed like he wouldn’t have much of a choice for the man seemed eager to pull the trigger. Plus, he wasn’t alone. More pirates filtered into the room, all of them pointing their guns at them. He grit his teeth as he fought against his instincts and dropped his heatgun. 

“Put your hands up. Any wrong move and I’ll shoot him,”

“You hurt him, and we’ll tear you apart,” Mick didn’t know where those words came from, but he realized just how angry he was. He couldn’t explain why he felt so angry but he wasn’t going to question it. He never did question his own feelings or instincts. After all, they have saved his life more times than he can count. All he knew now, was that if he ever got a hold of this man, he would pay for hurting his team.

“Yeah? We have almost twenty men on this ship and you have what? Three? What can you three do to us?” Mick growled low when the man twisted Rips arm more, causing the smaller man to cry out in pain. Just that sound made him want to tear this man apart, his instincts to protect his family were screaming at him to not allow this man to get away with hurting them. “Now here’s what is going to happen. You three are coming with us to the bridge and see what the captain wants to do with you lot. Though be warned, one wrong move and we will not hesitate to put you down.”

The man pulled Rip to his feet and lead the way down the hall. The other pirates remained behind Mick and Jax so that they could keep their guns pressed against their backs. He should have listened to his instincts when they were telling him that something bad was going to happen. Now look what happened. They were probably walking to their death right now and there wasn’t much they could do about it. Especially when they made it to the bridge. There were more pirates here than he had imagined and his odds of winning a fight against them had dropped to practically nothing.

“We seem to have some company, Captain,”

Mick caught Rips expression when the man turned around. He definitely recognized the man and Mick briefly wondered if and how they met before. He may not know much about how the Time Masters work or what they really do, but stopping pirates seemed like something that they would do. So maybe he just knows him because he was wanted. Either way, Rip knew this guy and was not happy to see him.

“Well well well. What do we have here? Rip _fucking_ Hunter, in the flesh,”

Of course. Rip had to be famous among criminals. Even Mick knew that this was not a good thing. “You didn’t tell us you were famous,”

The man’s laugh made him want to gag. Everything about this man was putting him on edge and he didn’t like it. “Oh, he’s pretty famous in our circles. Known for taking down some very powerful ships by himself. Everyone wants a piece of this man. How lucky am I that he just walks right into my hands?”

Rip seemed to have the same kind of thought process as he did. “Trust me, that wasn’t my plan,”

The conversation went on, but Micks mind wasn’t on it. He didn’t care much about the words. He was too focused on the actions of the people around them. Most of the pirates were watching the interactions between the captains but some were either busy one some of the computer systems or watching him and Jax. He didn’t like the way that some of them were looking at the youngest member of their team. He snarled at them and grinned when they flinched away.

Except for one man. He was watching Mick with a strange grin on his face and Mick narrowed his eyes at him in anger. The man just kept grinning. Something about this man was worrying him, something was very wrong with this guy.

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned away from the man. The pirate captain had Rip by the throat, snarling at him. Rips eyes were wide with panic, and he was clutching at the mans wrist. Mick took a step forward but one of the pirates jabbed their gun into his side. He rumbled unhappily but stepped back.

“No need to get smart with me, _Captain_ Hunter. I can see that you are still bitter that your plan didn’t work out but if you continue to mouth off, I’ll take it out on your partners here. Do you understand?”

Rip nodded and soon enough the pirate let him go.

“Here is how it’s going to go.” The man waved his hands dramatically and Micks mind started to wander again. His eyes flicked over to where the creepy man had been standing but frowned when he noticed that the man was no longer in the room. His eyes darted around the room, searching for the horribly dressed man but no sign of him. That did not bode well with them. Something was very wrong with that man and Mick didn’t like not knowing where he was.

He turned his attention back to the pirate captain, listening in on their argument. Rip was trying to offer the man a counter proposal but it didn’t seem like the man was going to take it. It seemed like this man was just as stubborn as his own captain and Mick knew what could happen when you put two extremely stubborn people on opposite sides of a fight. Usually, someone got hurt and that someone was normally always innocent. But to offer himself in exchange for his team...well, maybe Rip wasn’t so bad after all. Jax didn’t like that idea at all, for he began to fight against the pirates holding him. It wouldn’t do them much good because Mick could tell that the man wasn’t going to take the deal.

He was right for the man, whose name he has already forgotten, turned down the deal. Rip actually seemed surprised that the man had turned it down. Mick was actually curious to see that Rip couldn’t seem to read the mans intentions. From what he has seen from the man so far, he was pretty good at reading people. Whether its because he was trained to or because it was just a part of his instincts, he was pretty good. And yet, he didn’t seem to realize that this pirate captain was just as stubborn as he was. 

He watched with narrowed eyes as the pirate walked over to him and Jax. He kept talking to Rip, as if he was purposely trying to piss him off. Mick has seen people like this before. People who just loved to prove that they were better than everyone else, even when they weren’t, and when they did manage to win, they gloated about it. Normally these kinds of people don’t last too long against people who are actually strong.

Mick felt a wave of protectiveness go through him when the man mentioned how people would use someone like Jax. Jax was the kid, the baby of this messed up family and for this disgusting man to even suggest something like that...he was lucky he had his lackeys behind him or he would be dead. He would tear anyone who thought of any of his team mates like that to pieces. When he had first joined this team, it was only to make sure that Lenny stayed safe for the man was too interested in the next big score. But as time went on and the crazy missions they have gone through, he began to realize that maybe these feelings he was experiencing, were not so simple. He’s not usually one to question his feelings so he didn’t. His instincts were telling him that this strange group of people were what he has been looking for and he wasn’t going to argue with them.

Mick was about to snap at the man who dared to even get close to Jax when he felt something. He frowned, looking around. It felt like magic, the kind that only Mythical type Animalis’ can have. And it felt powerful, extremely powerful. His instincts were telling him that this person was not one he wanted to mess with, that he would most likely lose if he tried to challenge him. His eyes quickly scanned the room for the new threat. But nothing popped out at him.

Until he glanced at Rip.

He was standing stiffly, glaring at the pirate captain. Nothing unexpected until he took a closer look. His entire posture had changed from a small man just trying to make it through, to a dangerous predator. He was watching the pirate with narrowed eyes and a snarl on his lips. That wasn’t the most shocking though. It was the fact that his eyes, now a surprising deep gold, were filled with murderous intent. This was a being that was meant to kill, meant to destroy. This wasn’t his captain. This was something else.

When the being that had taken over his captain let out a growl, he couldn’t stop the shiver that went down his spine. No, this was definitely not something he wanted to mess with. At least, not right now. It seemed like the rest of the room had the same thought process as he did because movement stopped completely. Everyone, including the ever confident pirate captain seem shocked enough to stop. 

“Touch him again and I _will_ kill you,” The being spoke, his voice rough and much deeper than it’s human counterpart. He easily shrugged out of the pirates hold, and they were sent sprawling to the floor. The being grinned at the captain, harsh and cruel. “You should know that I can, and will,”

His words seemingly made the pirate even more angry for he straightened up. He pointed his gun at Jax and Mick knew then that Rip was treading on thin ice right now. He needed to be very careful about how he dealt with this or Jax would get hurt. But it seemed like whatever was controlling Rip’s mind at the moment, did not like this challenge and growled dangerously at the man. The pirate took this as a challenge and growled back at Rip. The two stubborn bastards were going to get them all killed. Neither of them seemed to want to back down.

“Put the gun down and I might just let you live,” Rip growled at the pirate captain.

The man laughed at him, causing Rip to let out another unhappy rumble. Mick could feel the tension in the air grow even more and he wondered just how long this could last before one of them broke. “Not a chance. Stand down and I’ll let them go,”

Rip, or the being that was inside his head, didn’t seem like he was going to back down but neither was the pirate. Micks eyes flicked back and forth between Rip and the pirate, gauging their body language and taking a guess as to who would break first. Surprisingly, it seemed like Rip had finally realize just how dangerous the pirate captain was for he surrendered, drawing back his power. Mick felt himself take a breath, unaware that he had been tense, barely breathing during this entire thing. He was ready for the eventual fall out, for the fight that would undoubtedly come. 

It seemed like the pirate saw this as a victory because, as people like him do, he needed to rub it in. He forced Rip to his knees and mocked him, taunting him with the fact that he has lost. And of course, Rip took the bait and snapped back at the man. Mick was still trying to process exactly what had happened just now. He had known that Rip was a Mythical type because Carter had seen it before and took a guess. According to the hawk, their captain was scared of his own power. When he had first been told this, Mick had been doubtful. Why would anyone be afraid of their own power? Though after what he just witnessed, he couldn’t blame the guy. Hell, even he was fearful of whatever it was that Rip had hidden inside himself and he didn’t even know exactly what he was.

After a few minutes of taunting Rip, the pirate decide that maybe it was time to move onto more important things. Like taking the Waverider. And of course, that did not go the way that he had expected it to. Rip ended up being forced face down on a computer screen, threatened then somehow got a code word to their ship. Which is how they ended up being fired up by their own ship. And yet, Rip still did not surrender, even when the pirate fired upon the life support systems on the Waverider. Mick could not believe the balls on his captain. Why would he willingly risk the lives of his crew for one ship? Did they matter so little to him that he just didn’t care?

Everything went downhill from there when the pirates noticed that someone had taken the weapon system offline. Mick was starting to wish that he had stayed behind. He had wanted to get some action, maybe roast a few people Now he was stuck in another tin can, at the mercy of a crazy pirate who wanted to steal everything they had. Was this how other people felt when he and Lenny stole things from them? Not that he cared much because the people they steal from don’t matter much to him. He hasn’t really had people steal anything from him. Mainly because they were scared of him but it seemed like that wasn’t going to work here.

The pirate captain was not going to give up so easily though, for he contacted Ray again. “Rip, tell your crew to let us board, and I will happily save them. But either way, we are taking the Waverider.”

Rip, the stubborn bastard, remained silent long enough that Mick lost his cool. “Take the damn deal, Rip,”

“A captain never surrenders his ship,” God dammit, this bastard was going to get them all killed. He didn’t even seem to notice how angry he was making the dragon. Mick knew that the man must be going through hell, especially after his little magic show, but putting the lives or your team at risk because of it, is just cruel. “Besides, you’ll never catch Captain Palmer. He once outran Kanjar-Ro himself.”

Either Rip had a plan or he was bullshitting it because why else would you say something like that? Mick was beginning to think that Rip just pretended that he had plans but he was sure the captain just made it up as he went. That’s what he seemed to be doing now as he taunted the man, even as they somehow managed to lose the Waverider. The pirate captain must have reached his limit because he ordered his lackeys to take them to the brig. Mick was glad that he didn’t have to stand here and watch Rip’s stupid stubbornness get them killed. 

Mick was surprised once again though when he saw that they were not the pirates only captives. Apparently, the previous Time Master captain was valuable enough to keep alive. It seems like the rest of the crew were not. His eyes scanned over the room, looking for weaknesses in the structure that could help with their escape while Rip dealt with the pleasantries. He wasn’t all too surprised to know that this woman captain knew Rip. The Time Masters seemed to be a pretty tight group. He didn’t care much for the talking so he tuned most of it out. Though when Rip revealed why they were there without much resistance, he got curious. Revealing why you are infiltrating someone ship seems to be the exact opposite of helpful. 

He situated himself in one corner of the cell, constantly on edge. He watched as Jax tried to open the door and he had to admit that he was impressed. The kid learned fast if he knew how all of these systems worked in just over a week. Though it seemed like he was having trouble if the cursing was anything to go by.

It seemed like Rip felt the need to comfort the cheetah. “It’s fine. These newer doors are trickier than the ones on the Waverider.”

“I just wish that I could do something so that I know that I have actually learned something from you,” Mick could hear the disappointed tone in his voice and it made him angry.

“Don’t worry kid. It’s not you fault. It’s his,” Mick spoke up from where he had been sitting and pointed a finger at Rip. “You were the one to drag us onto this damn ship without a plan, without much of an idea of what to expect. You didn’t even consider other options or even consult with us about anything of the sort before ordering us to come with you,”

“Might I remind you, Mr. Rory, that you knew the risks and could have declined to come along.” Rip didn’t even seem to notice how irritated Mick was with his relaxed attitude. Like, what the hell was his deal? After that _thing_ took over his mind, he should have realized that he needed to watch his step with the pirate captain. But it appears as if the man was a slow learner because he did the exact opposite. 

Mick couldn’t stop himself from snorting, a brief puff of smoke coming out. It just proved how angry he was right now. “Right, so when I refused, my partner would have volunteered because you have filled his head with fairy tales about saving the world.”

Rip seemed almost amused with that. “Your partner has a mind of his own, Mr Rory. Which is more that I can say of you,”

“Are you saying that I’m dumb, Captain?” Mick glared at the smaller man, just daring him to say more. He understood that the man might not be in the best of moods but taking your anger out on your team was something you should never do. 

“Let’s pretend, just for a moment, that _you’re_ the captain, stuck in the brig while the rest of your crew slowly perish on their damaged ship. Now what would you do to get yourself out of that predicament?” Mick may not be a captain like Rip but he still knew what it was like to make hard decisions. He hated the fact that Rip was treating him like he didn’t know anything, that he was just all brawn and no brain. He was used to it from other people but to get treated like that by someone he had started to think of as his friend, wasn’t something he could handle. “What? No brilliant ideas? Really? Why am I not surprised? It’s a wonder that Mr. Snart even keeps you around,”

“Shut your mouth, now!” Now that, that was something he would not stand for. No one insulted Lenny. Not even the self-obsessed, narcissistic asshole like Rip. He snarled as he pushed himself to his feet and approached him.

Sensing a fight coming, Jax tried to place himself in between the two of them. He placed a hand on both of their chests. “Okay. Why don’t we all just take a breath,”

Rip didn’t seem to hear the cheetah or he just didn’t care for he continued on. “Or what? You’ll punch me in the face, or burn me alive or employ some other barbaric form of violence?”

“That’s why you recruited me, isn’t it?” Mick snarled at the man, his anger growing in response to Rips disregard for other peoples feelings. And it’s not just now that this has happened but ever since he recruited him, he has been nothing but an ass to everyone. He was getting tired of it. “To hit, hurt and burn?”

“No, I recruited you because you and your partner were a package deal,” Rip snarled at the man, getting right up in his face. Neither man wanted to back down with this. 

“What?” Mick was expecting a lot of different answers but this was not one of them. He didn’t quite understand and honestly, it hurt a bit to know that Rip didn’t really want to bring him along.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Rory, but a serial arsonist was never part of my plan to stop Savage. Much less, one with the IQ of meat,” He could barely restrain his anger as his captain snarled at him. He could see little flecks of gold appearing in his eyes but that just made him even more angry. This thing, whatever it was, was making Rip something that he wasn’t. He watched as the man moved away from him, watching as he paced back and forth. Something about Rip’s Animalis just wasn’t right and he was dying to know what it was.

“Now, that’s not how you’re supposed to treat your friends.”

Mick looked up from the floor to see the man from before staring at them. The creepy man from the bridge. 

“If he really was your friend, you wouldn’t treat him like shit. Why do you allow him to treat you like that?”

“Is there something I can help you with?” Rip snapped at the man, his anger seemingly focused on everyone.

“Not you. I just wanted to have a word with Mr. Rory here,” He removed his gun from his holster and pointed it at the captain. “Move back against the wall. One wrong move and I’ll shoot you, no matter what Valor might say.”

The man swiped a card against the controls for the doors and waved his gun at the dragon. “Come along, Mr Rory. I’d like to have a few words with you. If you don’t mind.”

Mick glanced back at him, but he knew that he didn’t really have much of a choice. He gave one last look at Rip, who actually looked upset. This made him realize that his own anger wasn’t necessarily focused on his captain. More like the thing inside of him that made Rip a monster. He just hoped that doing this would keep them safe. Once he had exited the room, the man raised the door again. “Don’t worry, Mr. Hunter. I’ll take good care of him,”

The man lead the way down the hall and Mick recognized the route back to the loading bay. That concerned him quite a bit, knowing that maybe the man wanted to leave. But where would he go? Who was he really? What worried him the most though is that the man would not stop grinning. It was honestly starting to freak him out.

“What is it that you really want from me?”

“Maybe I just wanted to have a chat,”

“Stop bullshitting me,” Mick snarled at the man, stopping in his tracks. Now that the other two were out of the way, he wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught up in a fight. “Just tell me what you want or I’ll just tear you apart,”

“And risk the life of Leonard Snart?”

His breath froze his his chest and he couldn’t stop the vicious snarl that erupted from him. He whirled around to push the man against the wall. “If you even touch him, I will destroy you,”

“What happens to him is up to you. As well as what happens to the rest of your team,”

Mick wanted to doubt him, wanted to think that this man was lying but his instincts were telling him that the man was telling the truth. But how and why? What was this guys true goal and why did it involve him?

“Now, if you don’t mind,” The man gave him a look and Mick released him. He didn’t want to do what the man wanted but he wouldn’t put his team at risk. Even if some of them were complete assholes. “Come along, Mr. Rory. Places to be, people to see.”

“Where are we going?” He refused to move until he knew exactly what he was getting into.

The man didn’t seem bothered, or even surprised, at his stubbornness. “Somewhere special,”

That was not comforting. Or really helpful. It told him nothing about who this man was, or what he wanted. “Who really sent you?”

“Someone very important and one you don’t want to cross so it would be in your best interest to do everything that I say,” The man moved on down the hall and Mick was very close to just making a break for it but he could not tell if the man was telling the truth about the other man. He would not put the life of his mate in danger because he did something stupid again.

So he decided to just go along with it. For the sake of Lenny. “I am,”

The man paused, the creepy smile still plastered on his face. “Well, I was meaning what I am going to make you do,”

Now that did not bode well with him. He would do anything for Lenny but he couldn’t quite think of what he was going to have to do that the man was doubting his compliance. “And what’s that?”

Mick nearly snapped at the man when he paused, as if trying to make this even more dramatic. Or he was just trying to be an asshole. “I want you to break your bond with Leonard Snart,”

Mick tensed at that suggestion and his entire being screamed at him. No, he couldn’t do that, he would never do that. He had promised Lenny that he would never break it. “What? Why?”

“Because you won’t need it anymore It will just get in the way of what is in store for you,” The man seemed to get even more excited at his resistance. 

“Screw you! There is no way in hell that I will do that,” Mick snarled at the man, ready to fight him if the need arose. He would tear this man apart before he allowed him to hurt Lenny.

The man shrugged, as if Micks threatening aura didn’t bother him. “Then I guess I’ll just have to get rid of him than,”

“You touch him-”

“Yeah yeah, you’ll kill me. But it won’t be me doing to deed.” Mick stopped his approach and glared down at the smaller man. He could tear him apart easily, but the look in the mans eyes were just daring him to do that. “Did you honestly think that I would have you here without having a little bit of an advantage? A good friend of mine has been keeping an eye on Mr. Snart since you two arrived on this ship. One sign from me, and he puts a bullet in his head. Though, I suppose that it would be the easier way to do this,”

Mick continued to glare at the man, wanting nothing more that to call his bluff. 

“Do you really want to push this issue Mr. Rory? I mean, who is more important to you. Mr. Snart and your new found... _family_ ,” the man sneered the word, as if the very thought of family was disgusting to him. “or your own life?”

Before Rip had come to them with this mission, he would have said that Lenny’s life were the most important thing in the world and no one else. He would have killed to keep the leopard safe, and still would. He didn’t care about the seven strangers lives at the beginning. But it seemed like the list of people he would kill for has grown. His team had become more important to him than his own life and it seemed like this man knew that.

“Tick tock, Mr. Rory. Make your choice now, or I will make it for you,”

“Fine. But you must promise that you will not touch Lenny or the team,”

“I can promise that if you destroy the Bond and come with me willingly, than your partner and the rest of your team will be left unharmed,”

Knowing that if he didn’t do what the man wanted, Lenny could end up dead and that would be just another thing he has failed in his life. He closed his eyes and focused on his Bond. When they had Bonded, Mick had complained to Lenny that his bond was too cold for his tastes but he had come to realize that it was probably one of the best things he has done. Lenny’s cold Bond, softened the effect of his own fire hot Bond. If he had not Bonded with the leopard, Mick was sure his own fire would have burned him up.

Mick felt along the Bond, trying to memorize every feeling he could before it was gone. The one thing that he would have died for was now the one thing he was sacrificing for the sake of Lenny’s life. He shook himself internally. It wasn’t the time to get sentimental about this. Before he could get even more emotional about this, he found where his side of the Bond and Lenny's merged together and tore it apart.

He gasped as red hot and ice cold pain rushed through his body. He couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped as he fell to his knees. He clutched at his chest as pain radiated from his heart. Never has he felt pain like this before. He didn’t know how long it lasted until it was gone and he almost puked at the complete emptiness he felt. It felt like someone had torn his soul from his body and all he was left with was an empty shell. He felt himself climb to his feet, following the orders of the man. He couldn’t think, he could hardly breathe. 

He didn’t know how long he stood there, but he eventually was able to lift his head and look around. He saw that Rip was here, along with the captain woman from the brig. He couldn’t even bring himself to care about either. Though Mick could tell something was off with his captain. He was standing oddly, as if someone had just beat the crap out of him and he could see blood seeping into his clothes. But he didn’t care. He didn’t care about the words that his captain and the creepy man spoke to each other. He just followed whatever orders the man gave him.

He barely reacted when Lenny came bursting through the doors. He could see the pain and the horror on his face and he wanted to go to him and comfort him. He didn’t. He wanted to explain that he did this for him. He didn’t. He wanted to show his mate that this was not what he wanted and to go back to their own ship and show him exactly how much he loved the man. He didn’t.

“Mick! What the hell have you done?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, seeing the pain on his mates face. God, he wanted to hold him, and tell him that everything was going to be okay. Lenny has lost so much in his life and for him to lose this, the one thing that has been near constant in his life, must have hurt like a bitch. But Mick was not going to take the chance that this man would hurt him. He needed Lenny to survive. If he did, than this entire thing would be worth it. He opened his eyes again, determined to make sure that Lenny made it out of this alive. Even if he had to be cruel about it. “I destroyed what I should have gotten rid of ages ago,”

“You destroyed our Bond, dammit! I’m going to need more than that. You said...” Mick could feel his heart breaking even more as he saw Lenny tear up. He has only seen the man cry once and that was when he had been sick and delirious and had thought that Lisa had died. He hated this, hated hurting Lenny. He has done it so much recently that maybe this was the best thing to do. It would give Lenny a chance to find someone who wasn’t a fuck up like him. “When we created our Bond you said that you would rather die than lose it. What the hell happened to you to make you break that promise?”

Mick’s kept his expression blank but his emotions were careening out of control. He was feeling pain, sadness, anger and so much more. He has never really been a feelings kind of guy and yet, here he was, doing just that. He needed to get away from here before he did or said something stupid. “I had only formed the bond in the first place to get what I want. Which is money, and power. But I realized that I don’t need you to get what I want. I could get it on my own all this time. I will no longer be your henchman, nor will I be fooled by your pretty lies. I’m going to get what I deserve.”

“You’re lying,” Mick tensed his body to prevent himself from running over to Lenny and wrapping him up in his arms. He had promised to keep the man safe from the ones that would try to hurt him and now he was the one to hurt him. He hated this. “Mick please,”

“Goodbye Snart,” With a deep breath, he turned and entered the small ship. He heard a commotion outside but his mind had sunk into a darkness that he just couldn’t seem to pull himself out of. And he didn’t want to. He deserved this. He deserved to suffer for the pain he has caused Lenny. 

A few minutes later, the man boarded the ship and set them on a course to who knows where. Mick didn’t care. He just wanted to go back and comfort the leopard. He wanted to go back and make it better. 

“You did surprisingly well. I’m actually surprised at how convincing you sounded. You had me believing for a moment that you actually didn’t care about him,” The man had not stopped grinning and he was now turning to him.

“Happy now, you son of a bitch?” Mick growled but it lack the same threatening manner as the ones before it.

“Very. Now, I’m sorry about this but it’s necessary,”

“Wha - “ Mick saw him lift a device and the last thing he saw was a flash of white, then darkness.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I would have posted this earlier but my laptop completely crapped out on me and I ended up having to do a factory reset, which took four hours to do. Good thing that I keep my writing on a USB stick or it would all be lost.
> 
> Any way, here you go. Until next week.

Waking up _hurt_. His mind was awake before his body so he could feel where every cut, every slash had been despite the fact that he probably had painkillers running through his body. He was feeling better though. No headache, no confusion, no nausea. His body was still sore, but it seemed like it was from lying in one spot for a long period of time. So he would take a guess that he has been out for quite a while, at least eighteen hours. He could feel that someone had taken off his clothes, leaving him in only his t-shirt and pants. He could feel a few bandages wrapped around his arms and chest but he could tell that his wounds were mostly healed.

It took him at least another fifteen minutes for his body to wake up and he was able to open his eyes. He blinked a few times as the light blinded him. He could feel his eyes watering slightly as the light burned and he tried to concentrate on what was in front of him. Soon enough, the ceiling of the med bay came into focus. He would recognize it anywhere for he has been in here often enough. His mind was so sluggish. He was having a hard time focusing on what he knew he should be focusing on. 

His mind went to his team, and even though he was so drugged up he could hardly think, he knew that he needed to figure out what he was going to do with this team. The mission on the Acheron was the worst since they started and it was all his fault. He had been reckless and stupid and he didn’t think of the consequences of his actions before he acted. Now Mick was gone, in the hands of the Time Masters doing who knows what to him. Leonard was probably suffering because of his broken Bond and all he could think of right now was how dangerous he was. 

With his ability to forget that there are consequences for every action, and that not everything was about him, he tends to make being around him dangerous. He had never really thought about it before because it has never come up in any kind of situation. His entire life has been about survival. His own survival. He has never really had the need to look out for anyone but himself until he met Miranda. Miranda was the one person who had taught him how to care, and how to love. She was what he had needed to grow as a person. When Jonas was born, he was sure that he would never be able to look at the world, and its people, the same way. They opened his eyes to love. He began to see that it wasn’t a weakness like he had always thought. Until Savage murdered them and he was left feeling hollow and empty. His mind became so overwhelmed with the idea of revenge, that he forgot that this team was human too.

He needed to get this thing under control or someone else on this team was going to pay for it. This _thing_ inside of him was putting this wonderful thing, this amazing group of people, in danger and he hated it. He didn’t understand why it was getting so bad now. He had little control as a child but as he grew, he became better at tampering the violent urges down. Being with Miranda and Jonas made it easier to control it because he loved them more than anything in the world so he would rather die than hurt them. This team that he had brought together was just supposed to be temporary, he knew that they have grown too close for them to be that anymore. He was actually surprised that he was able to care for someone after Miranda. He had felt so empty after she died and he went around feeling like there was a giant hole in his chest. This team, whether they knew it or not, were somehow filling that gap. He had thought that maybe it would be easier to control, like it had been when his family had been alive but that didn’t seem to be the case. In fact, it seemed to be worse now, than ever before. And he had no idea what to do about it. He could force it down with suppressants but he had a feeling that it wouldn’t work so well any more. His power seems to have reached a new high, even more uncontrollable.

Because of the fact that his species was so rare, he didn’t have any information or anyone to go see to get information about what the hell was happening to him. He had a strange feeling that the Time Masters knew exactly what was happening but there was no way in hell that he was going back to them. They would never let him leave again if he did return. He would be trapped once again.

“Look who woke up,”

It took Rip a few moments to realize that someone was talking to him. He had been too lost in his thoughts to even realize that the door had opened. He turned his head and gazed sleepily at the woman in the doorway. It took him a few minutes to recognize her and when he did, he gave her a tired smile. “Hey,”

“Hey yourself. How are you feeling?” The white canary asked, moving over to him so she could sit in the chair closest to his bed. She seemed to be well. He could see no injuries but he could see that she was tired. It seems like the others were affected by this past mission as well.

“Sore, and tired.” He mumbled, taking a moment to turn onto his side and tuck his arm under his head so that he could look at her. He winced at the pull of sore muscles. He hated this feeling, being drugged up and sore. It made thinking clearly nearly impossible. “But better that I was feeling I suppose.”

Sara snorted in dry amusement. “Yeah, I would imagine so. Martin said that you were suffering from extreme bloodloss. Which is funny because I don’t recall you mentioning that you were injured,”

Rip tried not to be affected by her disappointed look, but she has always been one that he could never ignore. He honestly didn’t think that he was injured that badly for he had not felt anything that would suggest it. Though he knew that even if he knew that he was injured, he probably would not have told her. He didn’t want them to worry about him when there was more important things to worry about. It might be best not to mention that to her, though. “I didn’t think that it was this bad,”

She didn’t look impressed with his answer but she let it go. “No more hiding injuries then, whether or not you think they are serious,”

“I think I can manage that,” Rip gave her a tired smile. He knew that she was just worried about him, but he can take care of himself. Even if they didn’t believe that. This team worried too much. Or was it that he worried too much? Maybe he was overthinking this. He was thinking of things that were less important than the main problem he was thinking of right now. “Sara...”

“Yes, Rip?”

He paused, not knowing if he should ask. He hated digging into other peoples business unless it had to do with his current objective. But this was his team and he needed to know. “How’s Leonard?”

“He’s....doing better. Martin has told all of us what had happened and we have all tried to be there for him.” Rip was happy to know that Leonard was not alone at this time. He needed the support of this team if he wanted to heal. “But he seems to think that locking himself in his room will help him feel better. Almost like you in that sense,”

“I don’t do that,” He pouted. 

This made Sara laugh. “Yes you do. We have all noticed how you seem to sulk whenever things don’t go your way.” She sighed, leaning back in the chair. She stretched her wings out as she tried to get comfortable. He watched in rapt attention. Her wings were so white. He’s met a lot of bird types in his days but none had such pretty white wings. 

“Rip, are you listening to me?”

“Hmm?” He turned his attention back to her face, which was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and unimpressed expression. He felt himself flush in embarrassment when he realized that he had been caught staring. “Ah, sorry. I’m still a bit tired,”

“It’s fine. I was just saying that we need to give Len some time to adjust as we look for Mick,”

“We’re looking for Mick?” He knew that it was a stupid question to ask but he was surprised that he had not thought of it first. He knew that he could not allow the Time Masters to keep Mick for whatever it was that they wanted him for. He wanted to save Mick, but he didn’t know how.

“Well, yeah,” She said that like it was the most obvious answer. She was also looking at him like she couldn’t believe he just suggested that they not look for their missing team member. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to. “He’s our team mate, our family. We are not going to leave him in the hands of the enemy.”

“Right,” He mumbled. He knew that they needed to get the dragon back or else this team could fall apart. This team is so connected with each other that if one of them went missing, they all suffered for it. “I just...this entire thing was my fault. I should have listened to you guys.”

“Hey now, this was not your fault,” She leaned forward in her chair to give him a look but this time, it didn’t seem to work. He still felt the guilt and the pain from hurting his team.

“Yes it was. I was stupid and reckless and Mick paid the price for it. I always do this and it is always other people who pay for it,” Rip couldn’t stop himself from tearing up at this. He was such a selfish person. Because of how he grew up, it has always been him first before others. Even when he had learned to care for other people, that has never really changed. 

“Rip, listen to me. No one is blaming you for this-”

“They should,” He slurred. He could feel some of the drowsiness wearing off but the sedatives were still strong in his system. “It’s my fault,”

“Why? Why should we blame you for this? And why is this your fault?” She seemed rather upset. She should be. He was the one that had forced Mick away. When he was more coherent, he was going to tell the rest of the team the truth. They deserved to know.

“I hurt Mick. I said some mean things to him and the next thing that I know, Mick is breaking his Bond with Leonard and running off with a Time Master,” The guilt weighed so heavy on his mind that he was sure Gideon had drugged him again. “I was mean to Mick and now he’s gone and I can’t even say I’m sorry because he’s not here and -”

“Whoa, whoa. Slow down Rip.” She reached forward to grasp his face in her hands. “Do you honestly think that Mick would get angry at you and leave because you said a few mean words? That he would leave Len because you got frustrated? You must know him better than that,”

He laughed bitterly, unable to stop a few tears from escaping. He hated this, he hated feeling like this. Sedatives and any drugs like that, always made him emotional. He’s thankful that no one has had the chance to see him like that. And Sara was here to see it now. If he had known that this entire mission was going to turn out like this, he would have left this team in their own time and gone after Savage himself. He probably would not have been successful, but at least this team would be safe. “That’s the thing though, Sara. I hardly know him. I hardly know any of you and yet I have dragged you guys into my mess, my fight. None of you should know the pain that you all have gone through since you have met me. I should have realized that this was not going to work.”

“You did not force us to do anything. We made the choice to come with you”

“Yeah, only after I lied to all of you,” Rip tried to pull away from the assassin but she was having none of it. She gripped his face firm, but gentle. She tilted his head so that he was looking at her.

“You listen to me very carefully, Rip Hunter. This is not your fault, nor is anything that you may think is your fault. This team is here because we want to be, not because we have to be or because you forced us to come. We want to help you save your family because we want to. You are not alone anymore. We are here for you. All you have to do is trust us and believe that we are here to stay. Do you understand?”

Rip could only nod. He knew that this team was hear by their own choices but the combination of his guilt and the drugs, was making him feel like a terrible person.

They sat in silence for a few minutes while Rip gathered his thoughts. The pain killers were messing with his head and was making him forget his thoughts when he has them. But he did know that he needed to sort himself out. That he needed to figure out what it was that he was really fighting for. Or rather, who he was fighting for. Sara watched him patiently, as if she knew what was going on inside his head, gently running her fingers through his hair. He got so caught in the motion that he was soon almost asleep again.

“You know, the others were worried about you,”

Rip opened his eyes in surprise. “They were?”

“Yeah, especially Ray and Jax,”

Rip laughed. Of course those two would be worried. They get worried over the smallest things, like the fact that they seem to run out of lucky charms all the time. “They were worried for no reason. Look, I’m fine,” He lifted his hands in a mock cheer, smiling a little bit more at the look on the white birds face.

Sara looked him over with a smile. Rip saw something on her face but couldn’t quite place it. And his mind was being unhelpful at the moment. “You are high on pain killers, aren’t you?”

“Oh yeah. Gideon always seems to think that she needs to give them to me. I don’t need them,” He didn’t need them but Gideon was more concerned with his comfort than he was. It was nice to know that someone cared enough about him to care whether or not he was in pain. The Time Master didn’t care and he had learned long before he was taken in how to deal with pain. Though it seemed like Gideon didn’t think that he should deal with pain because she kept the constant stream of drugs coming.

“You don’t?” He didn’t to see her face to see that she was confused.

“Nope. I’m an expert with pain. Been through lots so I am not that affected by it much,” Rip shifted on the med chair, trying to find a position the was comfortable but it was hard with limbs that barely responded to his commands.

Rip waited for Sara to respond with her own cheeky comment but when one didn’t come, he turned his head to look at her. She was gazing at him with a flat look, but her eyes were narrowed at him. He began to worry that maybe, once again, he had said something wrong. He was always doing that. Saying the wrong things, hurting the people he cares about. He should just stop talking all together so that way, he wouldn’t say anything bad again.

Geez, he really needed to stop the painkillers.

“Rip. Look at me,”

Rip hadn’t realized that he had closed his eyes again, so he turned back to the woman who was now leaning forward, staring at him with a pretty intense look.

“For someone to reach the point where pain becomes more of a nuisance that a problem...” She shook he head with a sad sort of smile before looking back at him. “No one should have to go through that. And I can promise you that you will never have to suffer like that again,”

“You can’t promise that,” He murmured softly. He didn’t mean to say that but he knew exactly how cruel people could be. How hard it is for someone like him to live normally. It was okay though. The pain, the suffering and the self hate. He has long since gotten used to it all. “There are always things you can’t predict and can’t control. Not even Time Masters know everything. How can you keep me safe when I can barely keep myself safe, much less any of you safe? Why would you even want to?”

“What are you even talking about, Rip?” The more he talked, the more upset she seemed to get. He wanted to stop but he just couldn’t seem to be able to. It was like he needed to get it off his chest. He needed someone to know exactly how he felt.

“It’s just...after everything that I have done, even before I was taken in by the Time Masters, I don’t deserve any help. I’ve hurt people, innocent and not so innocent, and I’ve destroyed so much. I don’t deserve to be saved. I’m not worth it,”

The confused look that the canary had once held had shifted to one of horror. “Jesus Rip, why are you saying all of this?”

“I’ve come to a realization on the Acheron. That I need to stop fooling myself into thinking that I’m a good man. I’m not.”

“Oh Rip,” Sara said softly, reaching out to run her hand through his hair again. He tried to stop himself from leaning into the touch but was unsuccessful “You are a good man. It may be true that you have done bad things but that does not mean that you are a bad person. If you want to judge someone, judge me. I have done a lot of bad and have caused so much pain. Compared to me, you are a saint,”

Rip couldn’t stop the bitter laugh from escaping. She had no idea what he has done, who he has hurt. She just saw what was on the surface, not everything that he has done or thought. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,”

“Oh yeah?” He voice was still soft, and he could hear the pain in her voice. He knew that this was a hard subject for her to talk about and he wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to talk about it. That it was just the drugs speaking and to just forget about it. Though the moment he opened his mouth, she gave him a look that told him to be quiet. She wanted to speak so she would. “When I was with the league, I killed more than I could count, and I don’t even remember how many. I once even killed a pregnant mother while she was holding her daughter. I can remember the child's face so clearly and it hurts. It hurts to know that I have taken that child's family away from her because I was told to.”

Rip could see the pain clear on her face and he wanted nothing more than to reach out to comfort her. She should not have to deal with this on her own. He shouldn’t have said anything. He should have just left it alone. Now, Sara was hurting and it was his fault. Once again he was hurt his team mate because he didn’t think before he spoke. He actually thought that if he shared how he was feeling with her, than maybe he could find peace. He should have kept his mouth shut. He wanted to make it better, to make her smile again. But he didn’t know how. He hated the fact that she thought she was so bad because of what she was made to do. He wasn’t made to do anything. He did it all on his own. He may not have been in complete control of himself at the time but it was still his choices. His power, his thoughts, memories and his consequences. His life has been nothing but bad choices. Hers has been nothing but bad circumstances. There was a difference. He wanted her to know that she was better than he was.

“I presented at the age of five,” He started. Gideon had told him that he should start trusting his team. He has not really done that lately. He had known that it would not be easy but with the help of the painkillers, he found that it wasn’t that hard. He knew that this would not make this better but he wanted her to know that she was not the only one on this ship that has hurt innocent people. “My...my Animalis was so powerful that I fell into a Berserk.”

Sara frowned at that, not expecting him to bring up this line of conversation. She waited for him to go on, noticing that he seemed to be stuck in his memories. “What happened?”

Rip took a breath, finding it slightly hard to breathe. He has never told anyone about this. He didn’t know how she would react, but he knew that he needed to tell _someone_. It didn’t matter who it was, but he was glad it was Sara. “It lasted three days. It wasn’t until the people I had grown up with where chasing me out of town that I found out that I had killed eighteen people. Innocent people. So trust me when I say, _you_ are a saint compared to me and you should not allow what you have done in the past to affect you,”

“The same could be said about you,” Sara knew that this must be hard for him to admit. She knew that he didn’t like talking about himself and this was the most that anyone has gotten out of him. Though it seemed like the drugs running through his system was making him not only depressed, but talkative too. She wanted him to know that she wasn’t going to judge him harshly for what he may or may not have done, even if he wanted her to. “You were not in control of your actions, Rip. Now, enough of the depressing talk for today. Get some more rest. You look like you need it.”

“Sara,” He started to complain but he saw her look and sighed. He wanted to make this alright between them. He didn’t want Sara to be held down by her memories but it seemed like she was having none of it. He knew that fighting with Sara Lance was a battle he would definitely lose. “Fine, but you must promise to wake me up if anything happens.”

“I doubt anything will happen. We are stationed in the time stream and we’ll stay here for a bit so we can recover.” He wasn’t going to argue with that. They all needed time to heal before they make a decision on what they wanted to do. And it seemed like Sara was on the same thought path that he was. “We’ll wait until everyone has healed before we make a decision on where to go from here,”

“Okay.” He murmured. He could feel Gideon administering some more sedatives and he could feel himself fading. “Take care of Len,” He slurred. He hated the fact that he was stuck here when he could be helping his team heal.

“I will,” She gave him a soft smile, running her fingers through his hair as he drifted off.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip's instincts seem to be a lot stronger than he had first thought but he gets help fighting them off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter ended up being a lot creepier than I had planned but I rather like the way this turned out because it shows a little more in depth of what Rip's Kitsune side is like and why it is so violent. Just a little sneak peak into what I may have planned for the fox. The ending is a fluffy little piece so this chapter isn't all dark.
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys like and talk to you next week with another chapter.

Even with the sedatives running through his system, his dreams were uneasy. He didn’t know how to explain why he felt that way. He was standing in darkness, alone. He knew that this was a dream but that didn’t stop him from being afraid. He has always had nightmares, so this was nothing new but the feeling he was getting from this one was different from the others. Most of the time, his mind liked to torment him with memories of when he failed, of when he wasn’t good enough. Which was practically every part of his life. Those dreams were always awful and made it so that he was unable to sleep peacefully for the next few days. This one felt different somehow. His suspicions were confirmed when the darkness wavered and shifted until he stood in a meadow. It took him a moment to recognize the space. It looked eerily similar to the one where he would play with Jonas when he actually had the time to come home. Where he had taught Jonas how to play football, the European kind, and how to just be a kid. How to have fun. This was wrong though. He was on edge, and he knew that something was going to happen.

“Daddy?”

Rip froze at that voice and he didn’t want to turn around. Every other dream that he had like this, always ended in terror, and left him feeling hollow once again. He didn’t want to go through that again but he just couldn’t seem to stop himself from turning. He nearly cried when he came face to face with one of the most important people in his life. “Jonas,”

“Daddy,” His child, his beautiful child, smiled at him and his heart nearly broke. It’s been so long since he has seen his child smile. Even though he knew that this wasn’t real, he couldn’t stop himself from walking up to the boy and pulling him into his arms. He felt warm, and real. He couldn’t stop the sob that came out. 

“Daddy, it’s too tight,”

Rip let the boy go, pulling back with a sad smile. “Sorry buddy. I just...I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, Daddy,”

His words, and the fact that he felt so real, was making it hard for Rip to step back from the image of his son. _This isn’t real. This isn’t real._ He kept telling himself. He couldn’t allow himself to get caught up in this. He needed to heal so that he could continue on with the mission to get his real son back.

“Am I not real enough for you, daddy?”

Rip looked down at Jonas and almost flinched back. It still looked like his son, still sounded like him but something was off. The way that the not-Jonas was looking at him was making him nervous. The gaze was too intelligent for a six year old child. Too vicious. He has seen that look on some of the worst people he has met and he hated seeing it on this image of his son. Whatever this dream version of his son was, he wasn’t going to let it get to him.

He shook his head. “You are not real. This is a dream and soon enough, I’ll wake up and you will be gone,”

The being, the not-Jonas, tilted his head and grinned at him. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes,” Though Rip didn’t feel that sure. His nightmares always followed him into the real world but he has long since gotten used to it. He has learned to push those nightmares away until he was alone in his room. His nightmares were never like this though. They were normally him reliving his worst moments, his worst memories but never has his memories talked directly to him like this. This entire thing was creeping him out.

“There’s no need to be so scared, daddy,”

“Stop it. I know that you are not my son, so stop talking as him.”

The being, whoever he was, eyed him for a moment before the air around him sparked and a new body stood before him. “Is this one to your liking?”

Rip didn’t know which one was worse. His son, or this one. It was still a small child, surrounded by golden light. It wasn’t hard to recognize the gold eyes or the nine golden tails. He remembered this, the moment he presented and proceeded to kill eighteen people. This was him when he had killed for the first time and realized just how much of a monster he was. This was the turning point in his life and he hated it. But he liked this option better than this being using his son to talk to him. But he still didn’t know what was going on.

“What do you want?” He tried to distance himself from this being. He didn’t want to be too close to this...thing if something went bad. Even if this was just a dream.

“What makes you think that I want something? Maybe I just want to have a friendly chat,”

Rip huffed. This being was no longer playing the innocent child card. His true colours were a lot more sinister than Rip had imagined. Which brought up the subject of what he really wanted. “Right. So that’s why you are using two of my worst memories to torment me as we have these ‘friendly chats’. Nice try, but I’m not stupid,”

“That’s debatable,” The being grinned at him and Rip could barely repress his flinch. This being in front of him was an animal. Rip could think of only one thing that is this harsh and that has the possibility to be inside his head. At least the only one that he would dream about. Why was he here? Was he here to taunt him? To torment and torture him? Or just to remind him of what he really was?

The being walked around him, and Rip finally understood how others felt when he did the same. He felt like prey, waiting for the moment the predator would kill him.

“I’m not here to kill you, even if it was possible,” The child version of himself was still grinning at him and Rip really wished he would wake up. He didn’t want to deal with this, whatever this was. “I’m here to set you straight,”

“Set me straight?” This was one weird dream. His subconscious side of his brain was telling him that he was trying to set him straight by appearing in his dreams as children. Either he had this side of him and didn’t realize it or this was something else entirely.

“You are so concerned about what others think of you. About _how_ people see you. You have these words stuck inside your head, freak, abomination, monster, and you let that affect how you think and act. It’s tiring and honestly, it’s pathetic.” The child Rip scoffed at him.

“Excuse me?” Rip could not believe that this person, who he had guessed was just his more darker instincts, was telling him that being afraid of his destructive power was pathetic. He didn’t care what this side of him thought. If he was pathetic for caring about the safety of others, than so be it. He didn’t want to be a person that had no remorse and only cared about himself.

“I mean, with the kind of power that we have, why in the world would you ever be afraid of anything?”

He couldn’t believe that he was arguing with himself about his fear. About why he didn’t want to use his power. If this was his subconscious, then shouldn’t he know why he didn’t want to let go of his fear? “Because this power hurts people. It gets out of control and destroys,”

“So what?” The fox stopped in front of him, crossed his arms and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. It seemed like he had mastered the unimpressed look. “That is what our power is meant to do. Destroy. It shows people that we are not one to be messed with. That they should be the ones to fear us, not the other way around.”

“I don’t want people to fear me,” He couldn’t stress this enough. His entire life, people had feared him and his power. He hated that feeling, the feeling of loneliness, of being alone. He had wished his entire life that he could be normal, just like everyone else.

“Then you’re stupid.”

Rip snorted at that. Of course his own mind would tell him that he’s stupid. That’s nothing new but to actually hear it from, well himself, like this was a bit different. “Why is that? Because I want people to trust me? Because I actually want to have a family, want to care and protect them,”

“No. Because you believe that this power we have is evil. You think that this power is only used to destroy,”

“That’s what you had just said though. That our power in meant to destroy and make people fear us,” This being was just going in circles. He had just said that their power was to destroy, to make people fear us. Then he goes and says that it _isn’t_ meant to destroy. Was he always this confused?

The fox child sighed, as if he was the one dealing with a child. “That doesn’t mean that we can not use it to protect. Isn’t that what you did on the Acheron? You killed those pirates, you destroyed them. They feared you until the very end. And yet, you did it why?”

He knew the answer to that without even having to think about it. It seemed like this side of him knew the answer as well because he was grinning again. Rip really wished he wouldn’t smile like that. It was creeping him out. “To protect my team,”

“Exactly. You used your power to destroy _and_ protect.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” The attitude of this child was starting to get on his nerves. He wondered if this is what it was like to deal with him while he was awake. No wonder people didn’t listen to him. He was like an annoying brat who wouldn’t take no for an answer and would always argue with everything you said.

“Bullshit.” The fox snorted in amusement. “You had a choice. You just chose the one that made sense, the one that would help you achieve your goals. You are allowing yourself to accept the delusions that your scared mind is giving you. I’m here so that you stop being so scared of yourself.”

Rip threw his hands up in frustration. “Why do you even care?”

The fox stopped his pacing, a snarl coming across his lips. The golden tails flared up behind him almost like a halo. The magic in the air cracked, making him flinch back. “Because I’m tired of you being so god damned scared of yourself. You fear yourself so much that you are harming yourself by pushing me down. You are destroying what we could be,”

“Because I hate the fact that you have so little regard for human life.” He wasn’t going to back down. This being could threaten him, hurt him but he could not kill him. He wasn’t going to let the monster win this fight. 

“Other humans are weaker then us. Why should we care about them?”

“You – ah,” Rip turned away from the small child, frustrated. He didn’t understand why this being, this part of him was so cruel. It didn’t make any sense. He was not that violent. Or at least, he liked to believe that he wasn’t. He didn’t like hurting people and yet this side seemed to thrive on it. “Every life matters. It should not matter about who is stronger than who.”

“Why are you denying this?” The fox’s voice was almost at a shout. It was kind of strange actually, to see the ever so confident side of himself getting upset. “This is just the basic order. The strong survive while the weak die. It has been this way since the beginning of time.”

“Yeah well times have changed,” He didn’t know why he was arguing with the fox on this. He already knew that he was right in some instances, but he wasn’t just going lie down and take whatever the fox was feeding him.

“Have they really? Take a look around you.” The being waved his hands around as if they were surrounded by people, like they were in the land of the living. “In every time period that you have been in, the strong have always been on top while the weak grovel at their feet,”

Rip really wanted to deny this, to say that people have changed but he knew that they haven’t. People will always be the same, depending on their power to get to the top. He hated that idea and wondered why. Why this side was so intent on being stronger, crueler? Why was that the most important thing to this being?

“Because when you are the best, you don’t have to fear anything,”

Rip didn’t want to fight anymore. He knew what he wanted and this fox was not going to change his mind. “But fear is what keeps us alive. It pushes us to be better and strive to live at our best,”

The child was staring at him like he had grown another head. Like the idea that fear makes people better was ridiculous. He guessed that being an extremely powerful being like he was, would not have the need for fear. It was kind of funny that he believed that. Even beings with immense power feared something. Rip has met some very powerful people like the Roman Caesar, and his lover Cleopatra. Or George Washington, and Einstein. Hell, he would take a bet that even Savage feared something. This side of him, was just like them. 

“You still don’t understand,” The small child snarled at him.

“Oh I understand. You hate the fact that I don’t use my power to make people fear me, to control them. Well I won’t. I won’t use this power as you want me to. I’ll use it the way I want to,”

The being growled low at him and Rip noticed that the world around them was beginning to warp. While they had been conversing, the world that they were in was just a simple meadow. Now it was swirling with colours, crackling with intense magic. The pressure around him grew so much that he was forced to his knees, struggling to breath. He glanced up at the child that now towered above him.

“I didn’t want to do this,” The being was looking at him as if he was just a bug underneath his boot. His face was blank but his eyes were filled with disdain. He has seen this look from quite a lot of people but to see it from the child version of himself was something new. “But you are giving me no choice. Either you do as you were meant to, or I’ll do it for you,”

By now, the dream world was shaking, cracks forming in the air as the world fell apart. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was scared. Never has this happened to him. The pure power that this ‘child’ was releasing was unbelievable and he was starting to doubt his own beliefs. With this much power, he could do anything he wanted and no one would be able to stop him. He could finally kill Savage with this power and find the answers that he has been craving.

_No_. He would not give in to these desires. This was what the monster wanted him to believe. That he should use this power for his own gain, that he should give in to the madness. Well, he wouldn’t. He would not give this being the satisfaction of winning. He glared up at the child staring down at him, and he grinned.

“I won’t give in to you, no matter how much you torment me. So go ahead, do your worst.” He couldn’t stop the laugh that came out of him. It sounded a bit mad, a bit crazed but he want this monster to know that he wasn’t joking. He wasn’t going to surrender so easily. He had so much to lose now and he wasn’t going to risk it. “I’m never going to let you win so you better get used to the feeling,”

“You have no idea what you are bringing down on yourself,” The being snarled at him, the world starting to shake violently, large sparks of magic flying around them.

Despite the white hot pain that was now spreading through his body, Rip managed to push himself to his feet. He held himself tall, confident. He glared down at the smaller being, who actually flinched back. “I don’t care. I will endure any kind of hell that I have to. I will rescue my family and keep this team safe. And you will _not_ get in my way,” 

The fox did not have any time to respond to his declaration because the world seemed to have reached its limit. With a deafening crack, the world shattered and Rip was left in darkness. This darkness was not like it was before. Before it was cold and empty but he had no problem in it. Now, it was crushing, squeezing him to the point where he couldn’t breath and couldn’t think of much other then _I’m going to die_. He clutched at his chest, trying to suck in a breath. His body was cold, tense and his entire body ached in pain. He was so sure that he was going to die so when the pressure starting lifting he sucked in a breath.

“Rip? Rip, can you hear me?”

Ray? What was Ray doing in his dreams?

“You are okay Rip. Everything’s going to be okay,” Ray kept speaking but the words kept coming in and out and he couldn’t quite understand all of them. Rip felt a pressure on his arm, as if someone was squeezing it. He heard himself groan but he was still stuck in the darkness. He felt the pain and the pressure lift slowly the more Ray spoke to him.

It took a long time before he realized that he was lying on a med bay chair and that he was still halfway asleep. He was no longer dreaming which he was eternally grateful for. The pressure, and the pain had disappeared but he still couldn’t wake up. The drugs in his system kept him under for a while but he could feel Rays presence the entire time. He couldn’t feel anyone else, which surprised him. He was sure that Sara, at the very least, would be here when he woke up. But he guessed that she had more important things to deal with than a captain who couldn’t take care of himself. 

He was pleasantly surprised that someone had the sense to turn down the lights so it didn’t burn when he opened his eyes. He sat for a few more moments so that the sedatives would start to wear off more. He was sure that he was rested enough to go back to work and was eager to do so. 

“Rip?”

Rip turned his head to gaze at Ray. He was taking up the chair that Sara had once sat in. He looked a little worried but mostly, he looked tired. Guilt filled Rip when he saw this and he knew that he should have guessed. The events in the past few days was affecting everyone on this ship and he was stuck here when they needed his support. He felt like he should say something but the only thing that came out was “How are you feeling?”

Ray gave him a small smile. “I’m alright. I’m more concerned about you,”

“I’m feeling good but I would feel better once I get back to work,”

Ray sat back, looking alarmed. “You want to go back to work after what happened to you? Martin had told us that you were cut up pretty badly. He said that it would take at least two days before you have recovered completely.”

Rip pushed himself up into a sitting position, adjusting the chair so that he could remain upright. The drugs were starting to wear off but there was still a small amount that was making him sluggish. “That may be true but I can not just sit here while the people that hurt our team walk free. And doing research isn’t strenuous enough to harm me,”

“Rip,” Ray sighed and Rip was starting to see just how exhausted the wolf was. “You need to rest,”

“So do you. You look like you are about to pass out.” Rip watched the wolf sway a little in the chair and was growing concerned with his well being.

“I feel like that too, but I can’t rest. I tried but I couldn’t,”

Rip didn’t want to push the man but he was concerned that something else was going on. “Why not?”

Ray looked down at his fidgeting hands. “Every time I try to sleep, I get nightmares and I wake up screaming. The funny thing is, I don’t even remember what they are about. I just know that it’s terrifying,”

Rip couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and grabbing Rays hands. He hated seeing him like this and whatever he could to help him. “Ray, it’s normal to have nightmares after something like this. Everyone has them, even me as you probably have noticed.”

“Yeah, I saw that. Sorry.” He gave Rip a sheepish smile and Rip sighed. The man was too gentle, too kind to be a part of this violent world.

“It’s alright. What I am trying to say, is that it will pass. With people like this team, you will never be alone in this. You will have the support you need to get through this. All you have to do is ask,” The talk with his ‘darker side’ made him realize that he does need to stop being so afraid. Not of his power. He had a feeling that he would always be afraid of his own power. He needed to stop being afraid of getting close to this team. This team has become important to him and he needed to realize that he wasn’t helping anyone by being afraid of getting close to them.

Ray was staring at him with a soft look and a small smile. “Thank you Rip. I guess I needed that.”

“You were hurting. I couldn’t just allow you to hurt. You guys have become more than just a team. You guys have become...my family.” Rip had thought that he would never get another family after Miranda and Jonas. Though it seemed like this team was eager to prove him wrong once again. “So if I can help you in any way, I will do it. Like now. You are exhausted and need to rest. Don’t make me order you to go to bed,”

Ray laughed, but grew serious. “You need to get some rest as well,”

Rip rolled his eyes. “I’ve been sleeping for the past day. I need to get back to work.”

“Rip, come on man,” Ray sighed. “You can’t just jump back into work after those kinds of injuries,”

It was nice to see that people actually cared what he felt. It seemed like he was finding more and more that he cared about and that cared about him. “How about this? I promise to stay here for the next 24 hours but I will still do some research.”

Ray gazed at him but either he knew that he wouldn’t win this fight or that he knew that Rip was going to do what he wanted anyway. “Alright. Though if you don’t stay here though, I’m gonna tell Sara,”

Now that was something he really didn’t want. “I promise that I will stay here. But only if you get some sleep.”

“I doubt that I’ll be able to sleep with my...well, I’ll give it a shot,” Ray didn’t seem so confident that he would actually sleep. Neither did he seem very excited with the idea of getting some sleep. Rip knew exactly what it was like to suffer from nightmares so much that it interferes with your sleep. He couldn’t allow Ray to suffer like that. Ray was too good to be brought down by something so dark. 

“What normally helps with your nightmares?”

“I...when I was little, my mother used to lie in bed with me and tell me stories. Just random little things that most people wouldn’t care about, but I loved them. When she died, I had horrible nightmares for weeks and I was sure that it would push me past my threshold of what I could handle.” Rip wanted to stop the inventor. He didn’t want the man to feel like he needed to tell him something that he didn’t want to tell. It was like talking to Sara all over again. But Ray didn’t seem uncomfortable nor did he seem like he wanted to stop. “Then I met Anna and she saved me. I thought that it was going to last forever. It didn’t. When she died, it was so much worse then when my mother died. This time, it lasted for months. I threw myself into the Atom suit and that led to Oliver, and Felicity and the whole gang. And it got better again. I could tell though after a while that being with them was something that I enjoyed but it was not what I was meant to do. Then you showed up and I finally felt like I finally found somewhere I belonged. And it has been great. I love being here with you and this team. So I guess that finding out the Mick had left,” Ray shook his head, his entire body expressing sadness. “I guess that I felt like I lost another member of my family,”

“I’m sorry that you had to experience that.” Someone as bright and happy as Ray should never have to suffer from that kind of pain. Rip knows exactly how much that kind of pain can feel like. He knows how that pain can affect someone’s state of mind. He didn’t want the wolf to suffer like that. That kind of pain can isolate someone from the things around them and that would be a death sentence for the wolf. Wolves are pack animals, depending on their ‘pack’ to survive. Those who take the lone wolf route either die or go crazy. He didn’t want to see Ray end up like that. “If you want...I mean, this chair is big enough to....what I’m trying to say is uhh...”

“Rip Hunter, are you trying to get me to come to bed with you?” Ray smiled, his eyes lighting up with laughter.

Rip could feel his face warm up at that thought. Not that Ray wasn’t a good looking man and if given the chance..no, he shook himself mentally to prevent his mind from going down that road. He cared about Ray, but that was not the kind of relationship he wanted with man at the moment. “That’s not...I just meant...oh, bollocks,”

Ray laughed and he instantly felt better. If he had to suffer some embarrassment to make Ray laugh again, then so be it. He watched as the wolf climbed to his feet, sure that the man was going to leave and go sleep in his own room. Instead, he moved closer to the med bay chair and raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to make some room for me?”

“Oh right,” Rip shifted so that there was enough room for the canine to climb on. He was just expecting the man to lie down next to him. Instead, he curled up on him. He wrapped his arms around the fox’s waist and threw his leg over the other man. Rip had tensed when Ray had first moved but as the wolf settled his head on his shoulder, he relaxed back into the chair. He ended up wrapping his own arm around the wolfs shoulder to hold him close. Ray huffed quietly, pressing himself closer to Rip.

Normally, Rip would never allow anyone to get this close to him. He didn’t have that much trust in people and he knew that. With Miranda, he trusted her with his life. But he didn’t trusted her enough to tell her about what he is and what he has done. He knew deep down that she would never tell anyone but the fear he has grown up with prevented him from trusting her with his deepest secrets. That fear, which has kept him alive for the longest time, was also the fear that kept him at a distance from the people he cares about. He wasn’t going to let that fear affect him anymore. He was going to protect this team with every once of power he had but he was not going to let that power control him. 

Soft snoring pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked down to see Ray asleep, drooling a little onto his shoulder. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching up the arm that was around the wolf’s shoulder to run his fingers through the mans hair. These people where not supposed to become this important to him. They were just supposed to be tools to kill Savage but over the last week or so, he’s realized that they have become something much more than that. They have become people that he would die for, would kill for. _Have_ killed for. He was not going to allow anyone to hurt his team anymore. Sara was right. They were going to get Mick back, then they are going to kill Savage. Then, and only then, can they finally be what they are meant to be.

With his mind made up, he reached over to the table next to the chair and grabbed the tablet that sat there. Usually, it was kept for medical information but it could be used for other things. Like research. He promised Ray that he would stay here, and he kept his promises. He was going to find out where Mick was. Then, they were going to get him back.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip checks up on Leonard and may or may not learn some new stuff about the resident thief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I had a bit of a writers crisis this week when writing the next few chapters when I realized that I had been missing a lot of details from the show, like the fact that only Kendra can kill Savage. I sometimes look up the summary or watch certain parts to get some details write but most of the time I just go off my memory. But as I was writing I was noticing how much I was missing. And I know that it is told from Rips point of view and he doesn't see everything that happens, but it still made me a bit upset.
> 
> Good thing this crisis didn't last too long because I realized that it didn't need to be the same. That's what AU's were about. Being different. I just hope that none of you mind too much.
> 
> I also have a question for you guys. What does Savage call Rip whenever they speak? I hear it as Gareeb but maybe it's something different. I just don't want to put something that makes no sense into this already weird enough story.
> 
> Thank you to those who have stuck with me and to those who show up every week. Sorry for the long authors note and I will speak to you guys next week, with a new chapter.

Ray, the stubborn bastard, actually would not let him leave the med bay before another twenty four hours. He even got Sara to side with him. He managed to negotiate with the both of them that he would stay for the next ten hours, then be allowed out under supervision Imagine that, a captain having to be supervised on his own damn ship. He understood that they were worried about him, but honestly, it was just a few cuts and a little blood loss. It wasn’t like he hasn’t been through worse. And he was alone those times. But, he would allow them to fuss over him figuring that he could get some work done and catch up with the rest of the team. He was expecting to find something, anything that could give them a direction after they had taken a few days to rest.

What he found though, irritated him beyond belief.

Nothing. He found absolutely nothing. And he had searched everywhere. It seemed like Gideon had taken the initiative and talked Jax through how to install the updates. The updates allowed him to research much more thoroughly but it wasn’t enough. It was almost like Mick had been erased from time. There was no sign of him anywhere. Sara had told him that they would find him, to not give up. But he was starting to feel like this whole thing wasn’t going to end well.

When the research route didn’t pan out, he moved on. He figured that something would pop up soon and he would be there to find it. He spent the next few hours checking on the ship and the crew. Most of them seemed to be alright, a little less energetic but Rip knew that it was because of the absence of one of their own. He waited until he had checked on everyone else before seeking out the one who was affected by this the most.

According to Sara, Leonard has not left his room since they had returned to the ship. It was concerning to see that Leonard was hiding away from this, but it was understandable. He couldn’t imagine how much it must have hurt for the man. He wasn’t Bonded to Miranda but it still hurt more than anything else he’s experienced when she died. He couldn’t imagine what it would have been like if they had been Bonded. He knew that it probably have killed him. Even someone as steady as Leonard would be affected by this.

He paused at the door, wondering if he would even be welcome to say anything. After all, it was his fault that Mick was gone. He said something so cruel to the dragon and now he was gone. He was going to do whatever it took to get the dragon back to his partner. Then he was going to take them home, where they belonged. They didn’t deserve to be put through this kind of hell just because he was being selfish. 

Before he could chicken out, he raised his hand and knocked on the snow leopards door. It would be better to just get this done so that he could get the guilt off his chest. “Mr. Snart?”

All he got was silence. That didn’t surprise him much. He knew that the leopard was in the room and he understood why he didn’t want to talk to the captain. It still hurt though. Even if he wasn’t that close to Leonard, he still felt a strange...connection with him. He held this connection with the entire team and he knew that it would hurt when they went home but he knew that it was the best choice for them. If they didn’t leave soon, they would all end up like Leonard. Missing something or someone and hurting. 

“Mr. Snart, I’ve come to apologize,” Again, he got silence but he was expecting nothing less. “If I had listened to you and your advice, Mick would still be here. It’s my fault that he is gone. But I promise you, I will make sure that we get him back. No matter what it takes, we will find him then you can go home. You never wanted any part of this and you won’t need to worry about it anymore.”

Rip flinched back when the door flew open. He honestly didn’t expect to talk directly to the man and now that he was face to face with the man, he had no idea what to say. Though he was more concerned with the well being of the man. He was pale, with bags under his eyes as if he hasn’t slept in the past few days. His clothes were in wild disarray, and Rip could smell that he hadn’t had a shower in the past few days. It appeared that Leonard had let himself go and that was concerning him greatly. The man was extremely focused on appearance and for him to allow himself to fall into this state was making him worry that this was a lot more serious than he had first thought.

“Mr. Snart-”

“Shut up,” The man growled, stalking closer to him to grab his jacket and pull him closer. Rip yelped in surprise, not expecting to be physically manhandled. “You want to send us home after everything that we have been through? Without seeing this to an end?”

“I...uhh...I’m sorry, I’m afraid that I don’t understand your question?” He practically squeaked.

The leopard laughed bitterly. “This entire team has been through hell to help you and you just want to send us all home?”

“They have been through _because_ I dragged them into this. If I had just let this be..” He stopped, feeling tears start to form. Just the idea of allowing his family to die without trying to save them was making him feel sick. He knew that he would never be able to save them himself, but he also knew that he didn’t want to place the lives of this team in danger. He cares too much about them. He cares enough that he is willing to send them home and lose the chance he had at another family. “You guys had no connection to me and yet I dragged you into this mess. None of you would be here if I had just let it go,”

Leonard’s eyes narrowed at him and for a moment, Rip was sure the man was going to hit him. That seemed to be a recent trend among this team. “It may be true that you lied to us in the beginning but all of us have stuck with you through all of your bullshit. Do you know why?”

“Uhhh...no?”

“Really? No idea?” Rip didn’t know what it was that the man was looking for. He just shrugged. “Sometimes, you really are clueless. We are still here, going through all of this crap because we want to be here. This might actually be hard for you to understand, but actually care about you.”

“You do?” He knew that some of them cared, like Ray and Jax, but he wasn’t aware that the rest of them cared enough about him to risk their lives for his suicide mission.

“If you have been paying attention to more than just yourself, you would have noticed it.”

“Even you and Mick?” He asked, trying to lighten up the mood. This depressing atmosphere was making it hard for him to concentrate. 

The leopard huffed, releasing his jacket and stepping back. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his captain. Rip shifted on his feet, feeling like he should not have asked that question. But then the thief rolled his eyes and sighed. “Both of us do...care about you. Just a little.”

“Just a little,” Rip mumbled, a small smile growing on his face. He was surprised that the man had actually admitted that he cared about something other than his partner and money. 

“If you tell anyone what I just said, I’ll make you regret it,”

“I guess you don’t want everyone to know that the famous Captain Cold actually cares,” He sighed. He didn’t mean for this conversation to turn out this way. Actually, he wasn’t really expecting to have a conversation with the man at all. He had expected to be completely ignored. All of what he had been planning to say to the man had disappeared from his head and he was left standing awkwardly in the hall with the thief. “Listen, Leonard. I’m sorry-”

“Stop it,” The man snapped, seemingly having enough of his apologizing. “This wasn’t your fault. This happened because that man forced Mick to do it,”

“How would you know that?” He must not know about what had happened between him and the dragon in the brig. Other wise, he would have been angry with him.

“When you guys were jumped by pirates, I felt his emotions. Mainly it was just irritation and some mild anger but near the end, he just...He didn’t want to break our Bond, and he was feeling...” The snow leopard paused, and Rip could see that he was having trouble voicing his own feelings. Rip didn’t blame the man. He hasn’t exactly been open with his team mates and that would probably make it hard for them to confide in him. Though it seemed like Leonard wasn’t going to let him go without letting his captain know exactly what he thought. “I don’t how to explain it. It was like he was feeling cornered with nowhere left to go and he has _never_ felt that way before. For him, there is always a way out. I don’t know what it was he was going through, but I do know one thing. He didn’t make this choice on his own.”

It seemed like the leopard truly believed that. Rip wanted to agree with him but he still felt like his harsh words made the choice easier for the dragon to abandon them. It seemed like his guilt wasn’t going to disappear that easily. Having Mick leave this team, and leave his partner was something Rip knew would always remain with him even if the others say it wasn’t his fault. He knew for a fact that the man who took Mick, was working for the Time Masters,, who were actually after him. So despite what the others think, this was his fault. The Time Masters went after Mick because they were trying to get to him. He may not know the reason why they took Mick instead of him, but he knew that it could not be good. Which is why it would be best if they found him sooner, rather then later.

Leonard's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “Listen, I know that you are feeling guilty about this but it’s done and over. It will do no good pointing fingers now. What we need to do now is find my partner so I can knock some sense into him,”

“I’ve actually already started looking for him but I couldn’t find anything,” Which didn’t surprise him much. Sure, it pissed him off that he just disappeared without a trace but he knew that if the Time Masters didn’t want someone found, they won’t be found so easily. But they wouldn’t be able to hide him forever. Rip would find them and he would make them pay for hurting his team. Not just Leonard and Mick. The entire team was suffering because of this, in one way or another. He wasn’t going to let them get away with this. “We will find him though. I can promise you that,”

“Yeah I know. The one thing about Mick is that he always comes back. He always comes home,” That last part was said softly, and Rip was beginning to see just how much Leonard cared. He guessed that he underestimated this man once again. “He’ll come back and we will end Savage then we can do whatever it is that we want,”

“And what is it that you want to do?” He was curious to know what this man wanted from him and this team. What he expected them to do after everything was said and done. He was honestly surprised that the man had even stayed this long. He knew that the leopard had a hard time connecting with people, especially with those that lie to him. Rip has given the thief no reason to trust him. He’s been lying to him since the very beginning. He was thinking that he would have been left alone by this time, that this team would chose to go home rather than go through this hell for his selfish reasons.

“I don’t know yet,” The leopard seemed to have gotten tired of discussing this in the hall and retreated back to his room. Rip was unsure of whether or not he would be welcome to come in but one look from Leonard made him follow the man reluctantly into the room. He didn’t want to invade in the pairs room. The two had made it clear when this whole thing had started that only people they trusted to would be allowed in. Rip hadn’t believed that he was a part of that group. Maybe the man was just too stressed out to realize who exactly it was that he had brought back to his room.

Leonard took a seat in one to the man chairs around the room. Rip took this chance to look around. There was a lot more here than he would have thought. The bed was placed against the far wall, sheets a mess and pillows stacked high. He had wondered where all the pillows from storage had gone. There were three chairs positioned around the room, which made him wonder why they needed three chairs. A desk littered with knick knacks and several chests located around the room. He wondered what was in them because they had definitely not come aboard with all that stuff but shook that thought out of his head. It was none of his business. There was only a lone painting on the wall, which he had a feeling, wasn’t bought legally. There was signs that both thieves lived here, their own personal touches that were hard to ignore. It made his heart ached as he saw some of Micks stuff lying around. It seemed like Leonard had been going through some of it. The guilt came back heavy and he had to look away.

He flushed slightly when he saw that he had been caught looking. The big cat didn’t say anything, just raised an eyebrow and gestured to one of the chairs. He sat down, not really knowing where this conversation was heading. He thought that maybe he would ask about what happened with Mick, and about what really happened on the other ship. But he didn’t ask. He just sat, watching Rip. He seemed to be looking for something, which was making him slightly uncomfortable. He didn’t really know what it was that he was looking for, but he seemed satisfied with what he was because he hummed.

“Normally, I would already have all the details before I even began planning something.” The man slumped slightly and Rip was starting to get concerned for his health. Maybe they should wait until the leopard got some rest before they had this conversation. But of course, the man didn’t seem to notice something like that. “So I figure that I can get the information from you. I heard what happened from the others but since you have done jobs like this before, I believe that you might hold some more insight,”

“I -” Rip paused, unsure of what to say. He had been expecting a lot of things, mainly to be accused of making the dragon leave but this wasn’t one of them. He knew that Leonard was not one to ask for help, and despite what he words were, Rip knew that was exactly what the man was doing. Asking for help. “I don’t really know much more than the others,”

“Yes you do. You might not realize it, but you know more than you let on. For example, who was it that took Mick away?”

Rip shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I have a general idea but I don’t really have proof of it.”

“Okay, we’ll go from there then. Tell me about the man.”

“What are we doing?” Rip questioned. He didn’t know what help going through this would do. It wasn’t like new information was just going to pop up now. “What good will this do?”

Leonard eyed him with an expression he couldn’t quite place. It looked like a mix of irritation and curiosity. “We often miss important details when something like this happens and don’t realize it until later. You missed something and I’m going to help you find out what it is that you are missing.”

“What is it that you think I am missing?”

“Don’t know yet. That’s why I’m going through this with you. Let’s start from the beginning then,”

Rip sighed but he knew that it was no use fighting with the man. He started the story from when they boarded the ship. He told him about how he and Jax didn’t find anything, no sign of anything wrong and how Mick scared the crap out of them when he randomly showed up. How their conversation distracted them long enough for pirates to get the jump on them. He didn’t really want to go into detail about how he lost control and how he couldn’t stop himself from taunting the pirate captain. Leonard told him not to leave anything out so despite being uncomfortable with admitting that he wasn’t in control like he seemed to be, he told Leonard everything. When he got to the point of when he and Mick had their falling out, he paused. Should he tell the man of what he did? Of what he said? It wasn’t really something that was crucial to the story. But Leonard deserved to know. Even if it made the man hate him. The rest of the story went by quickly, with him only skipping a few details. He told him that he had used his power to tear the pirates apart, but he didn’t tell exactly what he was. The thief didn’t say anything about his avoidance of that particular subject. He must have realized that it wasn’t all that important. 

By the time he got to the part where they had made it back to the Waverider, he was sure that the man was definitely mad at him. During the duration of the retelling, the leopard remained silent, watching him with a calm expression. The man has shown that he is good at hiding his emotions, which was exactly what he was doing now. Rip expected to be pushed for answers but the leopard just watched him as he processed what he had just been told. 

“Listen, I can understand that you might be angry-”

“I’m not angry,”

Rip paused, the calm words throwing him off. “You’re not?”

“No,”

Rip waited for him to go on but it seemed like the man was perfectly happy just sitting in silence. Rip couldn’t do that. He needed...he didn’t know what he needed. To be told that he made the right choices, that what happened with Mick wasn’t entirely his fault. That this entire mess was not his fault. He could feel the panic growing as the silence went on. He focused on his breathing to make it so that it wasn’t showing. The last thing he needed was for Leonard to see that maybe he wasn’t quite as stable as he wanted everyone to think. He kept his own face blank as the man gazed at him. It would do him no good trying to understand the thief. While their backgrounds may be similar, they couldn’t be any more different. 

“So...uhh, did you realize what it was that I had apparently missed?” He asked after the silence became to much for him to handle. 

“Tell me more about the man who approached Mick,”

“Uhh, okay? Well, he was short, black hair-”

“Not what he looks like. What he felt like,” Leonard pressed, almost as if he was trying to get a point across to a child.

“I’m not sure I understand the question.”

“You have good instincts. Whether it’s because of what you are, or just of how you are made, but you know people. You can read people better than most people I have met. You noticed something about him that you don’t realize yet. Try closing your eyes,” Leonard gave him a look relaying that it wasn’t really a request. So he sat back in the chair and relaxed, closing his and focusing on his memories. Because he was still unused to letting his power run free, his memories were mainly focused on that. On his own emotions at the time, not on his surroundings. He tried to find what it was that Leonard wanted him to find. He thought of the man, thought of how he felt. His emotions may have been running wild at the time, but his instincts were still sharp on everything around him. He twitched slightly when the thief spoke again. “Tell me what you felt when you first saw him. Don’t think about it, just say it,”

“Wrong,” Rip opened his eyes, finally realizing what it was that he had missed.

Leonard didn’t seem to have been expecting that answer for he blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry?”

“I don’t know,” Rip shook his head, going back to very moment he laid eyes on the man. His entire being shuddered. There was something seriously off with that man but he just didn’t know what it was. His instincts had told him to avoid that man at all costs. He hadn’t realized it at the time because his mind had been so muddled. But now that he has had the time, and motivation thanks to Leonard, to actually think about it. It was so obvious that he should have realized it earlier. “I didn’t realize it back then because I was so caught up in my own problems that I didn’t pay too much attention to my surroundings.”

“That’s understandable. Not many people would be able to keep calm in a situation like that.”

Rip raised an eyebrow at that. Was Leonard trying to... _comfort_ him? That was...new. And a bit weird. Leonard wasn’t the kind of man to comfort someone over something like this. He wasn’t a comforting guy in general. Maybe he was just trying to make him less nervous. “Okay?”

“What else? Other than being...’wrong’,” Leonard said this as if he didn’t like the way he said it. He didn’t notice, or didn’t care enough, that he didn’t react to Rip’s obvious confusion. “what else did you notice?”

He really didn’t know how to explain what he was feeling. Or rather, what he felt from the man. “That’s just it. Everything about him was wrong. Everything from the way he dressed down to his energy. Something was putting me on edge, making me have even less control but I just hadn’t realized what it was until now. I had just thought that it was just because of what happened that was putting me on edge,”

Leonard sat in silence, sorting through his thoughts. Rip knew that the man was incredibly intelligent and knew how people thought and behaved better than anyone else on this ship. He knew more than he showed and Rip couldn’t help himself at how easily it seemed to the snow leopard sometimes. He should have come to the man earlier when he had been planning this entire thing out, for maybe then would Mick still be here. Either way, the best person to help him sort through his thoughts would be this man. The only thing that Rip was surprised at was how much he was sharing with the thief. He knew that the man wasn’t big on feelings and yet here they were, talking about how he felt. He knew that it was only to find Mick that Leonard was caring about his feelings. Which is what the man would probably say if asked about it. So Rip left it be.

“So who do you think this man was? You said you had a general idea of who he was,”

“I think-” Here Rip paused. If he were to admit that the Time Master sent this man after Mick, Leonard would definitely see that this really was his fault. The Time Masters were after him in the first place and must have taken Mick to get to him. Their reasons weren’t clear but their objectives were. The thief would definitely blame him for Mick leaving if he knew the truth.

“Rip?” Leonard was looking at him with an expectant look on his face. Rip knew that he wouldn’t be able to lie to the man. Mainly because the thief would see right through it but also because the man deserved the truth.

“I believe that he works for the Time Masters.”

“Really? They’re after you, right?” At Rip’s hum, Leonards eyes narrowed. “If they are after you, why did they take Mick?”

“That’s what I have been trying to figure out. Their efforts to catch me have been rising and even the captain of the Acheron had said that it was weird how far they are going for me. But this, taking Mick, doesn’t make sense to me,” He threw up his hands in frustration.

“Maybe it’s for something more. We’re still missing something big, the main piece to this puzzle. Good thing I’ve always been good at puzzles,” Leonard grinned at him and Rip felt that maybe, just maybe this entire thing could work out. It was weird how this team could make him feel better with only a few words. 

“We’ll figure this out and bring our dragon home,” He said this with as much conviction as he could. He just didn’t realize exactly what he had said until Leonard raised an eyebrow.

“Our?”

“Well...what I meant was...uhh...he’s our team mate and uhh, we’ll get him back to...uh,” Rip stammered through his sentences but it seemed like Leonard was more amused than angry. He was looking at his captain with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face. Rip could feel his face heat up and he knew he needed to leave before he embarrassed himself any further. 

And his savior came in the form of a white rabbit. Martin had knocked on the door and entered when Leonard allowed him entry. He looked happy to see Leonard up and talking, which gave Rip the idea that the leopard had not spoken to anyone in the past few days. Rip wanted to stay with the man to make sure that he really was alright, but Martin had brought news that he might have found something in Boardmans journal. Leonard proceeded to shoo them away and Rip went reluctantly. The only reason he left the leopard alone was because he was looking better than he did when he first opened the door. 

He still didn’t feel the best about leaving him alone so he stopped and gave him on of his ‘I’m captain so follow my orders’ looks. “Get some rest,”

“Aye aye captain,” Leonard saluted him. Rip knew that this was hard for the man but he was going to make it better by bringing Mick home. Even if it killed him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip and the team jump to 1958 to dig into the strange events happening there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter. I'm actually pretty happy because I'm ahead on my writing for the first time in months! And we are getting closer to revealing why Rip is so special and why everyone is after him so much. I'm actually getting really excited to write that part. I'm just hoping everyone will like the idea I'm thinking of.
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. Hopefully there's not that many mistakes.
> 
> Anyway, see you next week with another chapter.

What Martin had found wasn’t a lead on Mick, but a lead on Savage. A lead that led them to 1958. He hadn’t wanted to pursue this lead for they had just lost a team mate and had more things to worry about. A few weeks ago, killing Savage was the most important thing on his mind. That was the only goal he had in mind when he made these people a part of his crew. But since these people have become more than just his crew, he felt like it was hurtful to Mick if they just forgot about him. But even Leonard said that with no leads, they wouldn’t be able to do anything to help the dragon. So it would be better to continue on what they had been doing and eventually there will be a sign.

He hated it but he knew that it was the right thing to do. This was the very first lead on Savage that they have had in a bit and he didn’t want to let this chance go. Even though they would be stronger with Mick, Rip was sure they could do this if they made a plan and actually followed it this time. They may not have all the details but they did know that Savage was in Oregon, 1958 and people were disappearing, some were even killed. Though the reasoning behind why the immortal would concern himself with this small city was still unknown but Rip promised himself that he would find out and put a stop to it.

The first stop, Oregon Mental Hospital. Some of the people who went missing were either patients, or people with family in the hospital. It was weird how most of the people were connected somehow to the hospital. It was obviously a place to look. Though there were also some that had no connection to it at all. Rip was curious as to what tied them all together. So he split the team up. He really didn’t want to separate the team again after what had happened with Mick but Oregon wasn’t a small town and it would take days to search the entire town together. So it would be faster if they all split up. Surprisingly enough, there were no objections for this. He was expecting all of them to resist that suggestion but it seemed like all of them were in agreement. As long as they remained in contact, was their only compromise.

So he and Sara headed to the Mental Hospital to look around while Ray, Carter and Kendra went to investigate the suburbs as a few victims lived in or around there. The rest of them went downtown to see if they could get any information from the towns people. He prayed that this mission would go better then any other because he knew that he could not handle losing another team mate, another family member. He was afraid that he would not be able to hold it together if someone else was lost because of his decisions and he prayed that he made the right choices this time.

They got into the hospital quite easily, though he wasn’t too surprised. In this time period, people didn’t care too much about the ‘crazies’, preferring to just lock them away and forget about them. The doctors in these kinds of places didn’t care about the people, they just wanted ways to ‘cure’ the crazy inside of them. So they just posed as a doctor and his nurse interested in curing the crazies. 

“You know, sometimes I really hate people,” Sara muttered as they made their way past the security guards. They weren’t there for the protection of the patients but rather the protection of the doctors. “I had no idea that these kinds of places existed,”

“They exist everywhere. Everywhere throughout time and that will never change,” Rip kept scanning his surroundings, trying to pick up every little bit of detail that he could. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for this time and he guessed that it might take longer than a few hours to figure out exactly what it was that was going on in this town. 

“Still, it sucks,”

“Yes it does,” Rip winced sympathetically when two orderlies walked past him dragging a patient who was screaming and fighting against them. “We need to focus on the inner workings of this place. For someone to go missing inside, it had to be one of the staff,”

They spent the next few hours greeting the staff and getting to know the inner workings of the hospital. Well, he got the know the hospital, Sara mostly just flirted with a nurse. A nurse that could help them get the information that they need, but Rip could see that Sara was quite interested in the girl. Why did she have to get so caught up with people that they would most likely never meet again? What would happen to her if she got close to this woman and when it came time to leave, wasn’t able to? He’s had that happen to him, with Jonah, and the Time Masters had to threaten him to get him to leave that time period. To leave Jonah. That was one of the hardest decisions that he has every made and he didn’t want to have Sara go through that if she got too close.

Rip thought that it would be easy to snoop around the files if he was a doctor but it seemed like the staff was not too welcoming of newcomers. Especially one who hid who he was. Apparently, hiding your Animalis was considered weird, and a bit suspicious for no one could tell what your true personality was. But Rip didn’t let the whispers and the strange looks weigh him down. He had gotten used to the looks and whispers. There was definitely something going on here and he was going to find out what it was. He didn’t know what Savage’s connection to this was yet but he was sure that he was involved somehow. While there was something going on, both he and Sara had agreed that this hospital wasn’t too dangerous and that they should split up. They still had the comms so if anything happened, the other could become aware any situation that may arise. He placed Sara in charge of getting the files on the victims while he tried to take a look around.

Maybe because he was new, and he was trying his best to blend in, nobody paid him much attention other than talking about him behind his back. He was grateful for it for he was able to do some snooping around. He got to know some of the staff, some rumors and some facts, for both are helpful in this kind of situation. Most of the time, it was better to believe the rumors than the facts in places like this. Where the higher ups control everything, right down the information given to the staff. And he could tell, if the way the staff acted was anything to go by. The higher ranked doctors acted like everything was under control but Rip could see that the nurses and orderlies were freaked out. When asked about anything odd in the hospital, he would get the cold shoulder.

Nearing the end of the first day, Rip took a moment to call up the rest of the team. According to them, nothing odd had happened but they also had noticed some of the townsfolk acting oddly. Kendra had noted that they were ‘scared but not knowing why they were scared’. Rip knew that everyone, no matter what species they were, are born with a dormant instinct for sensing danger. Those instincts were probably what was making the people scared. 

There was one problem though, one which he should have thought of before sending Jax into town. This was 1957 Oregon, which was not a friendly place for African Americans. He hated that he had sent Jax into that kind of environment but Jax was waving it off, saying that it paid off in the form of a young girl. It seemed like Sara wasn’t the only one getting close to someone. He warned the young cheetah not to get to close, but of course, his advice was ignored. He just hoped that the younger man would followed his advice when the time comes. 

The uneasiness of the town folk being the only thing they had found, Rip decided to call it a night. They would need their rest if they were ever going to find out exactly what was going on in this town. Because of the nature of this mission, he thought it best if they stayed relatively close to their area of investigation. He and Sara camped out in one of the resident rooms for the staff while the rest found a hotel room or somewhere else to rest for the night. He hoped that they would have the common sense to stay out of trouble.

The next morning brought news of a strange kind. It seemed that his team did not share the same kind of hesitation that he did for a few of them had decided to explore the town at night, probably thinking that is when all the secrets came out. Not a bad plan but Rip wished they had given him a heads up. Especially when they witnessed something that gave them an idea of what was really going on. During the night, some residents were attacked by a pair of ‘monsters’ and according to Jax and Martin, they were ‘scary as all hell’. Though Rip was more interested in what they were and where they came from. Beings like that didn’t just appear out of no where.

It was Leonard that gave him the clue that made the puzzle seem clearer. He said that they looked strangely like the missing people. They still had their documentation Animalis traits, but those were dulled. New traits such as the twisted wings and the horns were taking over them and it seemed like they had no idea what was going on, being animalistic in nature. Which means that something, or someone, did this do them and Rip didn’t have to think hard on who that could be. The only question he had was why? Why would Savage create monsters like that? Maybe those monsters weren’t supposed to end up like that, just an unfortunate side affect of whatever it was he was really trying to accomplish. Martin had managed to get some blood from the creatures when they had knocked him down and had returned to the ship to find out more.

The day from then on was basically the same as the previous day, but the team now knew what they were looking for. Any sign of what could be doing this to the people of this town. He worked alongside the other doctors to keep them busy while Sara dug more into the hospital. He knew that this hospital was the key to finding out more. Though he could tell she was a bit more interested in the nurse, Lindsay he believed her name was. He understood her need to connect to people while doing this kind of job but he also knew the consequences of something like this. He hoped that she knew them as well. 

It seemed like he was worrying for nothing for his comms buzzed a little after one in the afternoon. He excused himself from the group of doctors and made his way to an empty room. “Sara?”

“We have a massive problem,” She sounded a bit out of breath, her voice quiet as if she was afraid of someone over hearing her.

“What’s going on?” He looked down the hall before locking the door. He could have someone wandering in and see him talking to himself. He would be thought to be crazy and probably admitted as a patient. That was not something he needed right now. Especially if something big was going down. “Has something happened?”

She huffed a small laugh. “Oh yeah, something definitely has happened. Guess who just showed up as a ‘head doctor’?”

There was only one person Rip knew that could get Sara this worried. And honestly, he was surprised that it took this long for him to show up. “I don’t even need to guess. The question is, why is Savage here? I know that he is involved with what happened this morning but what could he want with this hospital?”

“Maybe he has something to do with Hall H? It’s the restricted ward and according to Lindsay, no one but Savage and a select few of the doctors are allow in. She also said that once a patient went in, they never came out. Just a rumor but she sounded pretty freaked out about it.”

“That doesn’t sound good. He’s probably getting his test subjects from the hospital than. After all, who would notice a few missing crazies?” He sighed. This was becoming more complicated than he had thought it would. He would have to tread carefully. “Can you get in there without being seen?”

“Not by myself. Plus, the door is locked with a keypad. I may be good with some technology but I wouldn’t be able to do it fast enough before security does their rounds,”

He expected that, it being the restricted section after all. And he didn’t want to go into it right now anyway. He wanted to get more information before he did anything else. “Alright. Meet me in the staff lounge and we can come up with a plan. I’ll let the others know what is going on.”

Rip left the room after checking to make sure that the hallways were clear and headed towards the lounge. He commed the others, filled them in and after some arguments, managed to convince them to continue looking around. There had to be more going on then what’s happening at this hospital. They needed all of the details they could get before they confronted Savage.

Sara was waiting for him in the lounge and he was happy to see her. After hanging around the doctors all day, he was ready for something to happen, to finish this cursed mission and go home. He was ready to kill Savage and end his reign of terror for good.

“I let the others know what was going on. Some of them wanted to rush down here to help us but I thought that having everyone here would probably not be a good thing if we wanted to remain under Savage’s radar,”

The white canary ruffled her feathers, nodding. It seemed like she was bothered by this whole thing as well. “Good thinking. Which makes me think that we should wait until he leaves tonight before we attempt to enter Hall H.”

“Which will give us plenty of time to get some more information about the place and Savage’s role in this whole thing.”

“I couldn’t get anything on that. All I could get out of the nurses was that he’s been the head doctor here for a few years and everybody loves him. Though he goes by a different name now.” She handed him a file with the name Curtis Knox, written on it.

“I’m sure it’s his charming personality,” He said dryly, quickly skimming the file. It was what he would expect from Savage. The file was one of an upstanding man, one who contributed to his community, had glowing recommendations from other doctors from around the world. Basically, the ‘perfect guy’ if someone didn’t have the sense to see past it. And why would they? This is 1958. Why would anyone want to create a fake identity to infiltrate a mental hospital? “Did you get any more information about what could be going on? The doctors I had been conversing with wouldn’t give me much.”

“They probably don’t trust you. After all, you are an outsider, with no Animalis to show, who just showed up and started asking questions,” She kept her eyes on their surroundings, noting any people who might be watching them. “And to your question, no, I haven’t gotten much. The nurses are not allowed to know much and any doctors I speak to are pigs who just ‘want to have a good time’. I swear, the next time one of those doctors touches me, I will hit him,”

“Do try to refrain from that,” Rip murmured, trying to sort out the file, filtering out what was important and what was not. Rip would never have guessed that Savage would go through the trouble of creating this kind of identity if he was just going to be playing doctor here. Another sign that he was involved in the creation of the monsters. “We don’t need you to get arrested right now,”

“Maybe not but it would me feel better,” She gave him a smirk before taking the file back and tucking it under her arm. Better to put it back where she found it before someone notices that it’s missing. “So what’s the plan?”

To be honest, he didn’t have much of a plan at the moment. He usually would have more data before jumping into a situation. Though going by the recent mission outcomes, he didn’t seem to do that much anymore. Which is why he was even more determined to do it this time. “We’ll do what you had suggested and wait until he leaves tonight before attempting to get into that hall. I should be able to get past the locks but I would prefer if we could do it uninterrupted,

“All of the doctors and most of the nurses are gone by ten so we could do it after. We would just have to watch out for the security but they don’t go down near Hall H very often.”

Rip nodded. That would be the best time to sneak into the restricted section and get what they need. “Alright. Meet me back here at ten then we can finally find out what it is that Savage is doing to those people,”

Rip easily slid back into the work, getting caught up in the hectic jobs. He stayed quiet this time, following whatever orders he was given and soon enough, ten came around. By then, there was only one doctor left in the hospital, other than Rip. He was too busy flirting with a nurse to notice him slip away. And at the right time for his comm went off.

He looked around for any eavesdroppers that might be nearby. “Hello?”

“Oh thank god,” Martin exclaimed and Rip became alert immediately. He sounded scared and horrified. “Something terrible has happened,”

“Okay, calm down Professor. Tell me what happened,”Rip could tell the man was scared but he wasn’t going to get anything out of him if he was freaking out.

“You know that girl, the one that Jefferson had mentioned earlier?”

“Yes,” He had a really bad feeling about this. He should have known that letting the man get close with the girl was a bad idea.

“Well, he went out with the girl and was going for a drive with her when they were attacked by the same kind of winged monster from this morning. And now he’s missing and we have no leads and I’m really worrying because Ray just contacted me saying that Savage is living in the suburbs and at a party right now and I have no idea what to do. Jefferson was taken almost twenty minutes ago and I’m really worried.” The rabbit rushed out and Rip barely caught the words. 

“Whoa, whoa, slow down. Does Raymond have eyes on Savage right now?”

“No. He said that he had gotten a message and left the party. And he didn’t see where he went. Do you think it has something to do with what happened to Jax?”

Rip knew. Savage was using this hospital to create or research these ‘winged monsters’ that Martin was talking about. Which means he was probably heading back to the hospital right now. “Alright. Get in contact with the others and tell them to come to the hospital as soon as possible. This is were he’s heading and probably where Jax is.”

“Alright,” The man sounded slightly calmer. “Alright, I can do that,”

Rip left him to contact the others while he went to find Sara. They needed to move now or Jax might end up getting seriously hurt. Since there was hardly anyone in the hospital, Rip didn’t even bother to walk. He ran towards the lounge where he had promised to meet the canary and hoped, prayed even, that they would find their cheetah before anything bad happened.

“Rip?” He stopped in the doorway to catch his breath. Sara must have seen his worried expression for her eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”

“Jax was attacked and is now missing. I think that whoever jumped him has brought him here to Savage. Who, by the way, is living in the suburbs and is now on his way back,” He rushed out before beckoning her to follow him. They needed to get into that restricted section now. “We need to do this now, no more waiting.”

Sara didn’t say another word, following his lead. They didn’t even bother being quiet as they ran towards the restricted section. And honestly, Rip wouldn’t have cared if they were spotted because right now, all he could think of was getting Jax back safe and sound. That thought was what pushed Rip to his extreme and he reached out using his power. He could feel his body becoming lighter, faster and he knew that this was the only way he could help Jax.

The keypad that Sara had mentioned was way before his time so it was quite simple for him to get past it and soon enough, he and Sara were rushing through the halls. His power was pushing him forward, making him faster than he normally would be. If Sara noticed, she didn’t say anything. She easily kept pace beside him. She was carrying her trade mark weapons and looked like she was ready to kill. 

“Hey! You’re not supposed to be in here,”

Rip skidded to a stop when he heard a security guard shout. “Dammit,”

“You go on ahead. I’ll deal with him,” Sara gave him a look that told the captain that she was not to be argued with. And he wasn’t going to. She could handle one person and it would be better if one of them managed to get to Jax before it was too late.

The halls were easy to navigate and the fact that he could somehow feel that Jax was nearby, he soon found himself in a large room. A room where he could see that this was exactly where Savage had conducted his experiments. The jangle of chains and the screeching of the monsters along the side was a dead giveaway. But no cheetah. He was nearby, he could feel him, but Rip couldn’t place the exact position.

“Jax!” He called out, not caring who would hear him. It didn’t matter for he would rescue his family and he would end the beast that took him. Nobody hurt his family and got away with it.

“I’m afraid that your friend is no longer your friend.”

Rip tensed at those words, the voice of the man who haunted his dreams echoing through the room. He turned, reaching down to grab his gun from his ankle holster to point it at the man, a harsh glare focused on the man he hates most in this world. The one man he swore he would end, even if it killed him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team manages to find and save Jax and Rip is quite concerned with what happened between him and Savage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the next chapter and some of you might be excited to know that there is a hint here of why Savage and the Time Masters want him so much. It's not that obvious but it will make more sense as the story goes on.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy and see you next week with another chapter.

“Where’s Jax?” He snarled at the man, his anger rising as the man just smirked at him. He stalked forward, his entire posture mimicking the monster inside. He didn’t let it out, he couldn’t. He didn’t want to use that power until he absolutely had to. “I swear, if you hurt him I will tear you apart,”

“He’s alive, if that’s what you wanted to know. Though...not quite the same. It seems like he didn’t respond too well to the serum,” Savage shrugged, as if it was no big deal. He was watching Rip though, as if he was a curious science project he just couldn’t figure out. “You should be more concerned with yourself. I mean, you do know the consequences for you if someone catches you unaware, right? I thought you had more sense than that.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” This conversation was taking a very strange turn. Strange enough that Rip had lost the anger, replaced with confusion and a little bit of concern. He always knew that the man was not entirely stable but this is just weird. “Has the craziness finally reached the maximum for you? Or do you just spit out random sentences and hope that they make sense?”

“You really have no idea. They told you nothing,” The snake shook his head, chuckling. The black scales along his cheek shining under the poor lighting, reminding Rip exactly what kind of person he was dealing with. He stalked around the ex-Time Master captain, that irritating smirk plastered on his face. “No, obviously not. Or else you would not be here, placing yourself at risk of...well, you’ll find out soon enough,”

“Enough with the crap,” He reached raised his gun back up and pointed it at the man. He was not going to take any more of this crap. He has had enough of chasing him down and dealing with whatever shit that Savage had managed to start. He was going to end this, once and for all. His finger balanced on the trigger, knowing that it wouldn’t kill him but it would probably knock him out long enough for them to get him back to the Waverider. Then Kendra could deal with him and this entire thing would finally be over.

Before he could pull the trigger though, a loud roar echoed through the halls and made him flinch back. It sounded familiar but he didn’t have the chance to wonder about it for Savage jumped forward, very similar to the way his snake counterpart hunts. He managed to wrap his hand around his wrist, the one holding the gun, and pulled him close so that he could twist him around. He ended up with his back against the snakes chest, an arm around his throat and his own gun pressed against his side. He snarled, lashing out but was unable to make contact. He could feel his heart going crazy in his chest and he was sure he was going to die.

“You know, I wanted to wait and do this the old fashioned way. It’s more fun that way, but I won’t take the risk of losing to you.” He hissed in his ear, making his shiver in disgust. Having this man so close to him after all that he was done was probably the one of the worst feelings he’s had. The arm across his throat moved, clutching his chin forcing his head to the side. The other arm was wrapped around his waist, holding his arms down. He didn’t know what the crazy man was going on about, or what he was doing, but he didn’t care too much at the moment. He just wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. 

Red hot pain erupted from his shoulder and he couldn’t stop his cry of pain. He fought against Savages hold, but it seemed like the man was stronger than he was in this moment. He could feel the mans teeth digging into his shoulder and he fought harder. He heard a whine and it took him a moment to realize that he was the one making the pitiful noise. The pain was not fading, in fact it was getting worse. Burning pain spread through his shoulder and down his back. He was sure that the man was killing him but was proven wrong when the man released him.

He stumbled away and couldn’t stop himself from collapsing onto his knees. He brought his hand up to his shoulder and wasn’t too surprised when it came back sticky with blood. He glared up at the man, anger rising again. Though he stopped when he got a good look at the expression on the immortals face. He was smirking, his snake fangs dripping with his blood. The expression was purely predatory and Rip hated it. It was like the man thought that he was more powerful, better than the fox. Like he thought that the fox was nothing more than an ant beneath his boot. 

“Well that was more fun than I had thought it would be, wasn’t it?” Rip snarled at the happy reply. Savage’s actions and emotions weren’t making much sense right now. Though he supposed it was due to the fact that he finally managed to end Rip. The venom that the man undoubtedly poisoned him with would probably kill him within the next day. “Now, now. There’s no need to be so upset about this. It’s just the way it was designed to be,”

Designed to be? Does this man think that he was better than he was? What a stupid question, of course he does. He obviously wouldn’t be thinking that way if he knew what Rip was. This caused his anger to grow once again.

“This won’t help you win. The others will end you if I cannot,” He pushed himself to his feet and held himself high. If he was going to die, he would rather do it with pride.

“Win? Oh my dear Gareeb, I have already won. You just don’t know it yet,” Raising Rips gun to point it at it’s owner, Savage back away. Rip knew that he was in no state to take him on right now, especially with black mamba venom running through his veins. He could hear the man laughing as he walked away, the sound bouncing off the walls and making it seem even more sinister. 

He remained where he was for a moment to calm his breath and collect his thoughts. The pain had faded to a dull throb, a much more tolerable level. Enough so that he could actually think. Was kidnapping Jax just a ruse to get him here? So that Savage could kill him? It seemed kind of farfected that Savage would plan all of this just for him. To the immortal Egyptian, he was nothing but a minor bother so to go through all this effort just to get rid of him was not something he thought the man would do. There had to be something more going on.

Another roar caught his attention and he took off towards it, slightly slowed by his injury. He could tell now what, or rather who, was causing the uproar. Jax was hurting, in pain and it was that monsters fault. He would not lose Jax today.

Though it seemed like the rest of the team had the situation under control. Or rather, they got Jax under control. He seemed to have been changed exactly like the other monsters. The others were a bit roughed up but it seemed that they have all made it out alright. Except Jax. He had been tied up and seemed like someone had managed to knock him out temporarily. The other victims were in a similar state and Martin was kneeling next to a few of them.

Rip couldn’t stop the guilt from rising in his chest but he shook his head to clear the bad thoughts. He couldn’t have himself feeling guilty when there was more important things to be doing at the moment. Like finding a way to cure the cheetah.

“Please tell me you have an idea on what this stuff is,” He murmured as he walked up to Martin, who didn’t look as worried as Rip thought he would.

“Yes. I noticed that the blood from the other victims had a significant amount of radiation in their blood. The same kind of radiation that everyone has, just in a much larger amount.” The man seemed focused on a syringe in his hands. He was mixing a few chemicals into a bottle, then filling the syringe.

“Okay?” Rip was not sure what the man was doing right now but he wasn’t going to stop the scientist. He was sure that the man would not hurt these people intentionally.

“What I’m saying is that Savage either kept some of the radiation from the first meteorite after all this time, or he found a new one. He’s been experimenting with the radiation on the people of this town,” Martin sounded angry that the man would experiment on people. It must have been the scientist in him, his morals going against what the man had done.

That just made him even more curious. “Why would he do that?”

Martin shrugged. “Honestly, I have no idea. The meteorite has already affected everyone on earth so why try to add to it?”

That was a very good question but it would have to wait. “It doesn’t matter right now. Right now, we have to worry about Jax. You do know how to cure this, right?”

“Oh yes. It’s quite simple. So simple I actually had time to make some,” He held up the bottle and Rip was ready to kiss the man. He definitely knew that he would never be able to come up with a cure that quickly. Who knows what would have happened if they had to wait even longer. They didn’t even know if there was even any side affects other that the physical changes. “I’ll give everyone here some. There’s enough for that, but we’re going to have to take Jefferson back to the ship to make some more for him.

“Good,” He turned to the rest of the team. “Alright, listen up. Martin has a cure and has given it the people currently still alive. We’re heading back to the ship so that Jax can be cured and rest.”

“What about Savage?” Carter spoke up, his eyes never staying in one place. It was almost as if he expected the snake to jump out at them at any moment.

“He managed to get away.” Rip shrugged, then winced as the wound in his should throbbed painfully. He had almost forgotten about that. He resisted the urge to press his hand against the wound. If he did, he would be bombarded by questions that he really didn’t feel like answering at the moment. He was curious about the fact that they had not noticed the blood yet. He was grateful for whatever reason that was. “He didn’t really say why he was doing these experiments but I don’t think it matters anymore. I don’t think he’ll be them doing any more.”

“He got away?” The hawk raised an eyebrow at him, almost as if he was surprised that his captain was not as upset as he thought he would be. He narrowed his eyes, and Rip knew that he needed to get out of this questioning soon or else things might start to come out. “How did he manage that?”

“He just got the best of me,” Rip noticed how the rest of the team was looking at him funny. He shook his head. “We should hurry back to the ship. Jax needs to get into the med bay and I don’t really feel like fighting off security at the moment,”

“We’ll continue this conversation later then,” Sara led the way out of the building but the captain was left with an odd sense of dread. He didn’t want to tell them that he was probably dying so this entire mission was a waste of time. He didn’t let his fear and apprehension show. After all, he was still the captain and someone needed to appear in control. 

They made it out of the building undetected, though halfway back to their ship, Jax awoke and wasn’t that fun to deal with. He started screeching, thrashing and fighting his bonds. It took both Sara, Kendra and Carter to restrain him long enough to get him into the med bay. The twisted wings on the cheetahs back bent uncomfortably as they strapped him down to the med bay chair. Rip rushed to hook up the medical bracelet so that Gideon could sedate the wild child. Once his thrashing had stilled and his screeching had quieted, did Rip breath a sigh of relief. 

“I’ll get working on making more of the cure.” Martin dashed off, quick like the bunny he was. Rip blinked at that odd thought. Where did that thought come from? Was he starting to get delirious already?

“We all need to get cleaned up, and I need to set a course for this ship. Someone needs to stay with him just in case,”

“I’ll do it,” Leonard spoke up, surprising everyone in the room. While everyone could tell that the man did care about this team, they also knew that he didn’t show emotions like normal people do. For him to verbally volunteer to sit by Jax’s side was surprising to say the least. 

“Alright. The rest of you can stay if you wish, though it shouldn’t take too long for Martin to make the cure and Gideon to see if it works.” Rip gave Leonard a pat on the shoulder as he passed. He needed to make sure that this ship got somewhere safe so that Jax could recover from this. Both physically and mentally. He knew that this was not going to be easy for the young man to get over.

He also needed to run some blood work, to see how much venom Savage had poisoned him with and to see exactly how long he had to live. So before he left the medbay, he grabbed some syringes while the others attention was on the cheetah. He would draw some blood and test it when he came back later. 

The safest place right now for them to station was of course the time stream, so that is where he told Gideon to jump to. He slumped in the captains chair, his body becoming more and more exhausted. The wound in his shoulder was still throbbing in pain, but now there was a steady burning growing and spreading across his shoulder blades. It was weird. Snake venom didn’t have this kind of pain pattern, and he knew that he should have started experiencing some symptoms of the venom and yet, nothing but the pain. 

“Captain, are you alright?” Gideon’s voice echoed through the room, soft with concern.

He couldn’t stop a smile from growing. Gideon was always worrying about him. “Yeah, I’m just...a little tired. And worried about Jax,”

“I’m positive that Professor Steins cure will work and Mr. Jackson will be back on his feet in no time,” She sounded confident in that and once again, Rip was glad he had her by his side. She was always someone he could depend on to keep him in the right state of mind.

“I’m sure he will,” Rip murmured, reaching up to grip his shoulder. It had stopped bleeding but it still felt like Savage still had his fangs buried in his skin. He had a strange curiosity building in him and he climbed to his feet. He made his way towards his room in a daze, his mind strangely blank. It was strangely similar to when he was coming down from using his power. But he hadn’t used his power in the last two days. He put it off to the venom raging through his body.

He blinked in surprised when he found himself standing in front of his bathroom mirror. The floor to ceiling mirror hasn’t really been used since he had lost control with Druce. He looked...well, he didn’t look as terrible as he thought he would. His white doctors outfit was covered in dirt, the back only slightly red from blood. He could have sworn he bled more than that. It was no wonder the others didn’t notice. His fingers moved on auto as he untied the laces that held the uniform together. The shirt and pants pooled onto the floor and he turned so that he could survey the damage.

On his left shoulder, a little above his shoulder blade, was a dark red circle. He could see each tooth mark in the circle, especially the two large fang puncture wounds. It didn’t appear to be bleeding anymore. He started to turn away, angry that the man had gotten the drop on him, but frowned when something caught his eye. He stepped closer to the mirror to examine the wound. He huffed bitterly when he saw what it was. Small black marks were spreading out from the wound like a spider web and Rip was sure then, that he was going to die.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, staring at the wound in the mirror but it was Gideon’s voice that pulled him out of it.

“Sir, Professor Stein would like me to inform you that he has administered he cure and it looks like it is already working,”

“Thank you Gideon. That makes me feel so much better. Tell him that I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Rip shook himself out of his stupor and rushed through cleaning himself and dressing in something a little more comfortable. He had more important things to worry about at the moment than his own mortality. Like making sure that Jax made a full recovery.

It seemed like no one on the team had taken his advice since they were all still in the medbay. It reminded him of when Raymond had been hurt. No one had wanted to leave the wolf then, and no one wanted to leave the cheetah now. The good thing though, Jax was already starting to look better. His colour had improved and the changes from the serum had started to retract. Rip wondered briefly if there was going to be any long term effects to this, besides the obvious psychological ones.

“Hey captain,” Ray tried to appear cheerful but he could see that the wolf was still worried about their youngest member, even though Martin had said that Jax would make a full recovery. He gave the wolf a soft smile but he knew that it wouldn’t do much. This entire team was still worried about their youngest member, despite knowing that he will live.

“How’s it going?” He asked Martin. The man had dragged another chair in and was seated next to the bed. He seemed calmer than he had been, which calmed his own nerves.

“He’s doing better, as you can see and he should be back on his feet in a few days.” The man sounded a lot calmer as well. At least someone on this team had some sense.

“That’s good.” He didn’t know what else to say. There wasn’t much he could say that would change the situation. All he could do is hope for the best.

“Rip?”

“Hmm?” He turned to see Sara and Kendra looking at him.

“Both Kendra and I want to head back to Oregon,” Sara flared her wings out a little, as if expecting him to fight her on this. She was right, of course because why in the world would they want to go back?

“Whatever for?” Going back to that town was an extremely bad idea for many reasons.

“We want to make sure that Savage has truly stopped his experiments and to destroy whatever samples he might have left,” Kendra looked a bit uneasy but he could tell she was devoted to this. She and Sara must have spoke about this while he was in the bridge.

“I can’t let you go back there when he could still be around. I don’t want you two to end up like Jax. Or worse,” He shook his head. He would not send his team into danger like that.

“We need to make sure that he is not hurting anymore people. If we leave, and he continues with his sick experiments, that will be on us. Do you really want that?” Sara stepped forward, a steely look in her eye. He knew that look. It was on that said she was going to do this whether or not he said no.

He sighed. He should have known better than to say no to Sara. “Fine but it can not be just you and Kendra going,”

“I’ll go with them,” Ray perked up, immediately at attention.

“I...fine. But promise that if you even see Savage you will get out of there,” He gave them all a hard look, saying that he would not back down on this. Sara was not the only one that could be stubborn.

“I think we can manage that,” Sara gave him a smile, and squeezed his forearm. He watched in worry as the trio left the room.

“Gideon, if you would drop us back to 1958 Oregon, that would be helpful,” The worry was growing in his stomach and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was sending his team off to something horrible. But he wasn’t going to stop them. They had made up their minds about this and he knew exactly how stubborn they could be. Especially a certain white canary. 

“Are you sure that it’s a good idea to send them back there with just the three of them?” Leonard spoke up from the chair he had occupied since the last time he had seen the leopard. He had his calm look but Rip could see that he was tense. It seemed like he wasn’t the only one worrying about their team.

“No. I would prefer that none of them go but it’s kind of hard to argue with Sara,”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” The man murmured and Rip could see him struggling to keep his eyes open. These last few days have probably been hell on the man and he hated seeing him so exhausted.

“Go to bed, Mr. Snart. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

The thief shook his head, straightening up in his seat. He opened his eyes and tried to appear as if he wasn’t affected by his exhausted. “Jax needs someone here when he wakes up,”

“I’ll stay with him. You, and the rest of this team,” He sent a look to the two remaining members of his team. “need to get some sleep in case something comes up. This might be the only rest you get for a while,”

“You need rest as well,” Carter took a step forward as if he would force Rip to sleep if he said no. This was the first time that Carter had directly spoke to him besides the occasional hello in the halls and what had occurred in the hospital. They had not talked about what had happened in the library between them and Rip was feeling like should sit down and discuss it. But they had not had the time to do so. And Rip may or may not feel hesitant to discuss it.

He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking of that. “I slept for almost two days in here. Plus, I didn’t have to fight any mutated monsters today. You three have. Just go. I’ll stay with Jax and I promise that I’ll wake you if anything happens,”

Rip was sure they were going to argue with him, for they always seemed to find something in his suggestions to argue about, but Carter sighed and gave him a nod. Carter nudged Leonard to get him moving and Rip was sure he was going to fight him. He was surprised that he didn’t, instead following his lead. He watched as the three of them leave, noticing how Carter seemed to drift close to the other two in an almost protective stance. It seemed like the hawk cared more than he let on. He sighed and prepared himself for a long night.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip finds out that maybe he was wrong about Savages intentions but can not dwell on it too much when they get an unwanted visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here you go. Another chapter. I know that some of the details might not make sense but I can promise you there is a reason for it all. Hope you guys enjoy.

Once he had Gideon working on his blood samples, did he finally relax. He already knew what the results were going to be so he didn’t bother worrying to much about it. It was only a matter of finding out how long he had left so that he could plan out how he was going to take Savage with him when he died. What he was worried about, was Jax. While he was starting to look better, he still looked like death. It wasn’t that he expected the cure to work right away. He just hated seeing him like this. He hated seeing any of his team in pain. He knew that it could have gone so much worse and he was just glad that they managed to make it in time to rescue the young man. He knew that jobs went wrong all the time. That was just how life is but he couldn’t help but be glad that this one turned out as well as it did. Except for the fact that he was poisoned, and Jax was experimented on, but it could have been so much worse. They could all be dead, instead of just him. Which was a thought he didn’t want running through his head. He would rather die a thousand times than let his team die for him.

“Sir, your test sample results have finished.”

Rip suppressed the urge to jump at the sudden voice. He had been so far into his mind that he had forgotten that he had asked Gideon to do something for him. He sat up straighter. He wasn’t going to die while slouching in a chair. “Give it to me straight then Gideon. How much venom do I have in my blood and how long do you think I have?”

“Venom, Captain?” She sounded quite confused, which in turn made him confused. There wasn’t much that could make Gideon confused.

“Yeah, the Black Mamba venom from Savage,” He hadn’t asked Gideon to look for the venom specifically. He just told her to do a full blood panel, testing everything. He wanted to know how far along the poison had gotten and that was easier to judge if she just did a full blood panel.

“I’m sorry Captain, but there is no sign of any kind of venom in your blood,” She sounded worried, like she was questioning his sanity. 

He was starting to question himself as well. No venom? That didn’t make any sense. “What? How can that be? Savage definitely bit me and there would be no other reason to do so than to kill me,”

“I’m sorry sir, but I did not find any venom. Though, I did find something else that was...odd,”

“Odd? What was it?” Rip had a very bad feeling about this. It would take a lot to shake Gideon and he knew that he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Dopamine, serotonin, and Oxycontin were found in raised levels throughout your body,”

Rip knew exactly what those chemicals do in the body when at normal levels. He had taken quite a few biology classes at the Academy so he knew how all of it worked. Especially what the raised levels, plus the bite from the other man, meant. One thing that he didn’t want to think of, didn’t want to even contemplate. It wasn’t something that would make sense in this kind of situation, especially one that included Savage. But it seemed like there was no other option than this one. He could feel his body start to shake as reality set in and he began to realize what exactly the man had done to him. His mind was racing but his thoughts made no sense to him. He could feel his stomach rolling and he bolted up from his seat. He barely made it the medbay bathroom before he was emptying his stomach into the toilet. He hadn’t eaten much in the past few days, but he did share a dinner with a few of the doctors at the hospital that wasn’t too good. It tasted even worse coming back up.

He stayed perched on his knees, face near the toilet until he was sure he wasn’t going to get sick again. His mind was still racing but the one thing he couldn’t figure out was why? Why would Savage do that to him? Why would he try to...Those three chemicals are natural for everyone but there is only one instance when all three are raised at the same time. It’s when people are trying to Bond with each other. But that made no sense at all. Why would the man he had been trying to kill for the last few months want to Bond with him? He was certain that the snake had wanted him dead as well so this course of action didn’t make much sense to Rip.

“Captain? Are you all right?” Gideon sounded concern and he wanted nothing more than to tell her that he was fine. But he wasn’t. He really wasn’t. He felt like his entire body and mind was shutting down.

Normally, a Bonding bite had to be exchanged with the person you wanted to bond with and if the Bond wasn’t completed, then it would fade. The connection that would be formed when the first bite happens would fade as well. He didn’t bite Savage and complete the Bond so it should fade after a while but it still concerned him. Did he do it out of spite? Or because he wanted to hurt Rip? That couldn’t be it because everyone knew that Bonds faded when not completed, so to try and affect him with something that would eventually fade was not making much sense to him. Maybe there was something more to this than he realized. He needed more information and had no idea where to get it.

He pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly. His head was still spinning and he couldn’t focus on anything in particular but he knew that he couldn’t sleep right now. Someone needed to be here when Jax woke up and he had promised the others he would be. So he would suffer through this for the cheetahs sake. At least he wasn’t dying anymore, the only good thing about this entire situation.

He needed to think. He needed to calm his mind and figure out what it was that the immortal wanted with him. Nothing immediately came to mind but that might also be because he was freaked out right now. He couldn’t see the details or figure out anything right now in this state of mind. God, he wished Miranda was here. She was always one that he could go to for help. She was so smart and would often see things that he missed. He could bounce ideas and plans off of her and she would not hold back on telling him he was wrong. She could probably tell him exactly what was going on just by getting the basic information.

Thoughts of his wife made his chest ache and his stomach become uneasy again. Having Savage try to Bond with him made him feel like he was betraying her in some way. Even after being married for years, and after they had a child together, they still would not Bond. Or rather, Rip wouldn’t. Because of his fear of what he was, and what he has done, he was unable to trust himself enough to get that close with his own wife. Animalis’ traits must be visible to form a Bond correctly. Otherwise, it would just be a bite mark. The ‘magic’ or whatever it was that made Animalis’ possible, was what connected two or more people.

Because he couldn’t quite calm his thoughts, Rip believed it would be best to put those thoughts away for now. Despite wanting nothing more than to dig into this, to find exactly what it was that he was missing, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to think clearly at the moment. Now that he realized he wasn’t dying, he could relax a bit more. Even though what the snake had done to him was concerning, it wouldn’t last. The half formed Bond would fade and he could move on to finding a way to kill him.

The next few hours were hell for him. Jax remained unconscious and despite promising himself he wouldn’t think about it, he thought about it. He still had so many questions without answers and he hated not having all the information. His mind would not shut up and he was left in hell because of it. All the worst possibilities were running through his head and even if he wanted to sleep, he would have been unable to. It seemed like his mind had turned on him once again.

It wasn’t until later the next morning did Jax wake up. During the night, all of the changes that the serum had done to him had retracted, and he was looking like himself again. Though his cheetah traits were still a little dull. He groaned, and Rip was immediately at his side.

“Jax? Jax, can you hear me?”

It took a moment before the young man was able to respond. His voice was rough and scratchy when he spoke, and Rip winced at how painful it must be for him. “Yeah. Yeah, I can hear you.”

“How are you feeling?” He didn’t want to push the man too hard. Rip doubted that the man remembered much anyway. 

“Like shit,” The man seemed like he was barely conscious and Rip hated to keep him awake. The man needed more rest if he was going to make a full recovery. He could now understand why everyone was so intent on him staying in the med bay when he had been injured. The worry that somehow the cheetah would regress back into the monster was still strong despite being told that he was going to be okay. 

“Yeah, I bet. You’ve been through one hell of an experience. You’ll need a lot of rest to fully recover,” He gave the young mans hand a squeeze in reassurance and Rip could tell he was already fading again.

“Is he awake?”

Rip jumped at Martins voice. He turned to see the rabbit standing in the doorway, slightly out of breath. He must had ran here when he felt his partner wake up. Rip didn’t know exactly how their connection worked, but he guessed it was similar to how a true Bond worked. The kid was lucky to have someone like Martin who cared that much about him that he would come running the moment he felt the other had woke up.

“He was. He’s asleep again.”

“That’s good. It means he is on the mend,” The rabbit sighed in relief and it looked like a giant weight was lifted off his shoulders. “I feel a lot better now. Which reminds me that you should probably get some sleep. You’ve been here all night and need some rest yourself,”

“Will you be okay here by yourself?” He wanted nothing more than to go to bed and sleep until all of his problems disappeared. Not really possible but he could wish. He also didn’t want to leave Martin alone here just in case something happened.

“I think I can manage on my own. Go, captain,” Rip smiled at the fond look in the rabbit’s eyes and huffed.

“Alright, alright I’m going,” Rip chuckled, pushing himself out of the chair before the man decided to drag him to bed. And he was feeling more tired than usual. Though whether it was from the recent events or from the revelation that the man he hated more than anything in the world had just tried to Bond with him, he didn’t know. Maybe it was a combination of both. Either way, he wanted to go to bed and sleep.

He got halfway to his room when the ship lurched to the side and he was knocked off his feet. The alarms blared across the ship, red lights flashing as the ship came under attack. He groaned as the wound on his shoulder flared up in pain again before pushing himself to his feet. Pain was easy for him to ignore when he was feeling threatened. He took off towards the bridge, which he was sure the others where heading to as well. He almost ran right into the console when he came skidding to a stop. He brought up the screens, trying to discover what was going on now.

“What the hell is going on, Gideon?”

“It’s seems that Chronos has breached the starboard hatch,” That did not sound good. In fact, that sounded like the worst possible outcome that could have happened.

“How is that possible?” Carters voice came from behind him. Rip didn’t bother to turn around. He needed to find a way to stop this bounty hunter before something horrible happened.

“It seems like Chronos has gotten some new toys from the Time Masters since our last encounter,” What could he do? How could he stop this man before he made it too far into the ship? His thoughts raced at the thought of what would happen if Chronos came across Jax, or the defenceless professor. No, he wouldn’t allow that to happen. “Gideon, seal the bulkhead doors,”

Rip realized that it was too late when he saw the bulky form of the bounty hunter come through the door. His heart jumped in his chest when he realized that it was already too late. He didn’t have time to react before he felt the burn of an energy blast on his shoulder and he was thrown back. He grunted in pain again when he landed on his back but he knew that he couldn’t lie here and wait for Chronos to end them. He pushed himself to his feet and joined in of the fray. He had a spare gun stored under the console in case of emergency, and he grabbed it. The others were already fighting the man but it seemed like they weren’t doing so well. He took cover behind his captains chair so that he could think. There was only one option for them if they wanted to make it out of here.

“Fall back,” He called to the others, moving towards the door. He kept firing at Chronos to keep him busy. “Get to the jumpship!”

He made sure that Carter and Leonard made it out of the door before following them. They made their way towards the jumpship, and Rip knew they would be making a stop to pick up the other members of their team before even thinking of leaving. 

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to leave the terminator on the bridge?” Leonard kept looking over his shoulder, his gun raised.

He led the way through the halls, hoping that they got to the medbay before this situation got worse. “It’s fine. Gideon has initiated lockdown protocols-”

“Which have been overridden, Captain. Chronos is utilizing superior Time Master technology.” She sounded very worried and he couldn’t blame her. She also sound irritated, like the idea of someone else in her systems. “I can’t countermand his orders,”

Rip braced himself against the wall as he felt the ship take off. This couldn’t be happening. Why did everything always go to hell? He couldn’t allow this man to take his ship from him. 

“Why is he time jumping the ship?” He asked but he already knew the answer. It was obvious that he was going to be bringing them back to the Vanishing Point.

“The ladies will be left behind in 1958,” Leonard growled, his eyes hard and Rip almost flinched back at the murderous intent on his face.

“What about Ray?” Carter was clutching the wall beside him, his wings pressed tightly against his back. His mouth was pressed in a flat line and Rip could see the worry, and the anger in the mans eyes.

“Like I said,” Leonard snapped at the man and Rip knew that if this conversation went on, they would end up turning on each other.

“I need to stop him,” Rip murmured, knowing that he needed to. He would not allow this man and his bosses to harm his team anymore. He turned and despite the rocking of the ship made his way back towards the bridge. Even if he had to use his power again, he would stop this man. He could hear the others behind him and he turned. “Head to the jumpship and escape,”

“No way,” Carter shook his head. He glared at his captain, as if challenging him. “We’re not leaving you behind,”

“This is my ship, and they are after me.” He shot both of them a look, trying to tell them that he didn’t want them to argue with him on this. He would _not_ allow anymore of his team to get hurt because of him.

“Which is more than enough reason to not allow you to go by yourself.” Carter didn’t seem to want to let this go.

“Are you disobeying a direct order from your captain?” He snapped at them. He didn’t want to be rude to them but he would not be able to forgive himself if any more of his team got hurt.

“If we need to, then yes. We are,” The two of them glared at him and he shook his head. This was wasting too much time and he needed to stop Chronos before it was too late.

“Fine. Just be careful,” He took a breath to calm his nerves before readying his gun. “Gideon, open the door please,”

The door swished open and Rip whirled around and began firing. Chronos didn’t give any sign of surprise and soon enough, a fire fight ensued. He took cover behind the console and behind the chairs and kept firing. He knew that he wasn’t going to take him down with one little gun but he wasn’t going to give up. With Leonards cold gun, and Carters skills, they should be able to take this man down.

Or at least, that’s what he had thought.

It didn’t happen that way. He should have guessed.

He was thinking that they were finally managing to push the man back but instead, it seemed like the man was the one cornering them. Rip was barely able to react when the bounty hunter jumped at him. He felt himself fly through the air again, landing on the ground of his office. He could feel his consciousness fading as red hot pain exploded from his shoulder. Normally, he could ignore the pain and push through it but it seemed like his body has been through too much for him to be able to do that. He faded in and out in a constant state of pain. It became so much that he couldn’t tell where the pain was originating from anymore. 

Pressure on his arm made him groan in pain and he forced his eyes open despite the fact that he wanted nothing than to just pass out. Martin and Jax were looking down at him in concern. The first thought that came to his mind was the Jax should not be out of the medbay so soon. 

“Rip? Are you alright?” The younger man sounded so worried and Rip wanted nothing more than to hold him and tell him it would be alright. Instead, he pushed himself up into a sitting position with a groan.

It was then that he realized that it was quiet, the fighting seemingly ended. He looked around but he could only see Carter leaning against the console. He was breathing heavy and had a cut across his brow that was bleeding pretty seriously. He didn’t see Leonard. “What happened?”

“When the ship shook the first time, it woke me up,” Jax said tiredly and Rip could see that he still looked extremely tired. “I thought that we had to come see what was going on,”

“While I thought that Jefferson should remain in the med bay because he wasn’t entirely healed. He took off before I could stop him though.” Martin gave his partner a look that told him how unimpressed he was with his actions. “I thought it would be a good idea to accompany him so that he did not hurt himself anymore. Gideon has informed us that Chronos actually made it on board.”

“Yeah but when we got here, both of you were knocked out and both Leonard and that crazy psycho was gone,” Both men helped him to his feet, and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning against them. 

“Where’d they go?”

It was Gideon who spoke up this time. “It seems like Chronos has absconded with Mr. Snart on the jumpship,”

Rips heart fell at that. Another one. The Time Masters have taken another member of his family with no discernible reason why. Were they trying to get him to go back to the Vanishing Point by taking his friends? Were they trying to make him angry? He knew that it wouldn’t work. It wasn’t making him want to go back. It’s making him want to destroy them for even thinking of hurting his friends. 

“Why would Chronos take Len?” Jax asked, ever so innocent. Even if the Time Masters were not after him, he could think of several reasons why the Time Masters might take someone. And none of them were pretty.

He decided it might be best for him to avoid the truth for now. “I don’t know. Gideon, can you track them?”

“We have a more pressing matter,” Rip wanted to snap at her that there was nothing more important than his team but he knew she was aware of that. So this must be something life threatening for her to override that. The console started beeping and Rip knew that Gideon was trying to get him to look at it. He moved over to the machine, rolling his shoulders to try and get rid of the lingering pain. 

He quickly scanned the screen and the dread in his stomach grew at what he saw. He could barely repress the snarl as he turned to his team. “Strap yourselves in,”

Dropping to his knees next to the console, ripping off the panels to get to the inner wires. His mind went through all of the steps he would need to go through to reset Gideon.

“What’s going on?” Jax was looking between Rip and the console in worry as he strapped himself into a chair.

“Chronos has sabotaged the navigation system and unless we can alter our course, we’ll be on a downward spiral of destruction,” He winced as the wires sparked, gritting his teeth as he felt the ship start tilting. The crash course was not going to be pleasant and they would be extremely lucky if they even made it out alive. Why would Chronos even sabotage the ship when he was on it? Wasn’t his goal to bring him back alive? He wouldn’t be able to do that if he died now. He shook his head. Those thoughts were not helping him focus on what he was doing. 

He yelped when the ship was thrown to the side, which had him smashing his side against the console. He almost passed out again at the pain radiating from his shoulder. It shouldn’t hurt this much. Bonding was quick and relatively painless and the pain faded within an hour. It’s been more than twelve hours and it still felt like the snake still had his fangs deep in the muscles of his shoulder. Though it might be due to the fact that he keeps getting thrown around like a rag doll.

“What are you doing?” He heard Carter shout over the alarms.

“I’m trying to reset Gideon so that I can gain control over the ship again,” He shouted back. _Almost there, almost...there!_ Rip grinned and rushed to his feet. The lights flickered off for a moment as Gideon rebooted. He yelped in surprise though when he felt the ship tipping again and he pushed himself towards the captains chair. He knew that Gideon would be able to handle the ship once she came online again. He just hoped that it happened before they crashed. He strapped himself in and held on for the ride. The ship fell in what Rip believed to be three barrel rolls before Gideon managed to straighten it out. He waited until all the alarms and flashing lights stopped before raising the safety bar and climbing to his feet again. He was still slightly dizzy but he couldn’t allow them to waste any more time.

“Shib-ba-bah soh-so...?” Martin stopped speaking when he realized that he wasn’t making any sense. In any other circumstances, Rip would have laughed. Not all side affects from time jumps where bad.

“You are suffering from linguistic disorientation. It’s a side affect of such an extreme time jump,” Rip moved towards the console again so that he could check up on the situation. He knew that they were in no immediate danger now that they had control over the ship again. They needed to find a way to pick up the team members left in 1958 and rescue Leonard from Chronos.

“I can’t hear anything,” Jax shouted, clutching at his ears.

“It will pass,” Rip said, focusing on trying to get the ship in working order again. The side affects that his team was currently experiencing were harmless and would fade.

“What?”

It would do no good to argue with him right now. “Gideon, give us an update please,”

“I am detecting a time beacon signalling the Waverider. Then again, this is 1960,”

“N-nineteen _sixty_?” Rip winced at that. He knew that they might not have landed on the same day that they left but two years? Two years that Ray, Kendra, and Sara were stuck in the 1950’s. All of the possibilities ran through his mind and he knew he had to find them. He had to get them back.

“The temporal navigation system was compromised and it is best to return us as close as possible to 1958.” Rip couldn’t but shake his head at that. In what way, was this close? He didn’t blame Gideon for this, of course, but he could help but feel like he should have done something more.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Martin mumbled and Rip had to agree with him. He had been starting to think that this mission couldn’t get any worse. And of course, Fate was destined to prove him wrong. 

“Look, we can go over the details later. For now, we need to find the others. Gideon said that there was a...time beacon?” Carter wrinkled his nose at the unknown phrase.

“It’s a device that sends out a signal throughout time to a specific time ship. Since it was most likely that Ray built it, he would know how to contact the Waverider if anything happened.” Rip mused. It would make the most sense that Ray would be the one to even suggest it. Though, with the technology in the 1950’s the way it is, it would have taken him more than a year to build the thing. Rip couldn’t imagine the stress the three of them had gone through, waiting all this time for them to come back. A feeling of loneliness welled up in him and he knew that what he was feeling was nothing compared to what they must have been feeling.

“You are right, Carter.” Rip straightened up. He would not allow them to be alone anymore. He would not let his family hurt anymore. “Our team mates are the most important thing right now. Everything else can wait,”

“Damn straight,” Jax said, apparently now able to hear. He had managed to push himself to his feet and was looking actually a lot better than before,

“Let’s go get our team mates back,”


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip and the team attempt to bring Sara back to the Waverider but it doesn't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry for not posting last week or yesterday. Things have gotten so crazy that I had not had the time to write anything. I had fallen behind on my writing, which left you guys with a chapter for two weeks. I'll try not to let it happen again but I can't promise that it won't. My finals at school are coming up which means a lot of studying. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope that this is good enough to apologize. Hopefully I will be posting another chapter next week.

They didn’t need to go far to find their team. It seemed like they were waiting for the ship to show up again. Or they had some way of knowing when the Waverider had shown up. The moment they stepped off the ship, they were greeted by both Ray and Kendra. Both of them seemed alright, if the way they were dressed was any indication. It seemed like had melded into the life of 1958 fairly well. That did raise a few concerns for there were always side affects for a time traveler that stays in one time period for an extended period of time. He looked around to see if he could find his favorite blond assassin, but he couldn’t see her anywhere. The moment they got close enough, they were bombarded with questions.

“What happened?”

“Why did you leave us?”

“Where did you go?”

“It’s been two _years_ ,”

“Okay, okay. Stop.” Rip raised his hands to stop the continuing line of questions. If he had the time, he would have sat them down to explain what had happened and that they would never leave them behind on purpose. “I know that you guys are probably curious, and upset that we left you guys but there was a reason,”

“We figured that because you guys wouldn’t just leave us behind like that. I mean, we’re a team and you guys wouldn’t abandon us. Would you?” Kendra whispered the last part, almost as if trying to convince herself that they cared about her. It broke Rip’s heart to hear her like that.

“Of course not, I would never allow them to.” Carter stepped forward to wrap his soul mate in his arms. His tawny brown wings came up to wrap her in a blanket of soft feathers. Rip could see her hug the man back tightly, a small noise escaping her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ray frown and turn away from the couple. It seems like something had gone on between the two during their stay here. Rip knew that it was none of his business, but it concerned him that maybe the wolf was developing feelings for Kendra. It wasn’t like he didn’t want this team to grow close, but he knew the consequences of what could happen if you got close to someone, only to lose them.

“Where’s Sara?” He asked, if only to take his mind off off the apparently growing relationship.

“She left. Said that she couldn’t just sit and wait for you. After the first ten months, Sara gave up thinking that you would come back,” Ray twitched as if that very idea was not something he could comprehend. It seemed as if he and Ray shared a similar state of mind. “I didn’t think that though. I knew that you would come back. You would never leave us behind,”

That comment made him hurt even more. Sara was suffering because of this, because of this whole thing and it was his fault. This whole suicidal mission was his fault and the entire team was suffering for it. He needed to fix this. He needed to make this better or this feeling of guilt would never go away.

“Where did she go?”

“She said she was going back to the people who helped her become who she was,”

That did not sound good at all. The League of Assassins are the last people he wanted around Sara. While they did teach her how to survive, they also taught her that he emotions got in the way of her duty. He knows what that feels like and he knows what it can do to a persons soul. He would not allow that vile group to twist Sara into a monster again.

“Come on. We have an assassin to rescue,” Without another word, Rip turned and headed back to his ship. The guilt in his stomach and the pain in his heart was steadily changing. Everything that he has been through in his life, everything that has happened in the past few weeks, was because he was too afraid to stand up for himself and just took what other people have given him. He was tired of it. He had finally found some people that he could be himself around, some people he could allow himself to love again. But these people, the people who he had trusted, were now trying to take these people away from him.

He wasn’t going to let them.

He would fight them to his very last breath.

He barely registered that he was angry as he stormed into his ship. No, he was beyond angry. He was livid. He knew that Sara must have been feeling abandoned so it was understandable that she went back to the people who were there for her when she was struggling. Though she would not have felt that way if the Time Masters had just left them alone. Why couldn’t people just leave him in peace? Was if fun for people to make his life hell?

“Rip?”

He stopped in the hallway, turning to gaze at the remaining members of his team. While he did just get two people back, it still felt strangely incomplete without the others.

“Are you alright?” Kendra asked, looking aver him with a worried expression. He supposed that it must have been concerning to see him storming away. They probably thought that he was mad at Sara. That could not be the farthest thing from the truth.

“I’m alright. I’m just...” He shook his head. He knew that his team would never truly understand why he hated the Time Masters so much. But he couldn’t hold his anger in like this. He knew that people would get hurt if he forced it down until it just explodes. He was tired of forcing who he was down to be what everyone else wanted him to be. “I’m tired of the Time Master hurting this team,”

“Why do you think they are going after everyone but you?” Ray asked, his tail twitching nervously.

“It’s obviously a method to hurt him. If Rip has nothing left, he will do what Sara did. Go back to what’s familiar,” Carter seemed to hate that idea. He had his arms crossed, wings tense, with a stormy look on his face.

“I’d never do that,” Rip shook his head. After everything those people have done to him, he was _never_ going back to them. They would have to forcefully drag him back and he wasn’t going to go down that easily.

“They obviously don’t think that,” Carter seemed like he wanted nothing more than to hit something. Rip inched away subtly just in case.

“Or they don’t care,” Martin spoke up from the back.

“Either way, we’re going to get our team back. All of them,” Rip turned and started moving back towards the bridge. The sooner they got to Nanda Parbat the sooner they could get Sara back.

“But what if that is exactly what they want? For you to go try and get them back,” Ray sounded even more worried and Rip wanted nothing more that to turn around to comfort him. It was nice to see that they others cared about him, but there were more important matters at hand right now. Like rescuing Sara.

“So what? It’s not like I’ll give in to them that easy,” It only took him a few minutes to set the course and soon enough, he was seated in the captains chair while Gideon steered them to their destination. The others tried to question him further but he waved them off. He knew that he was probably being rude to them and should apologize. He couldn’t seem to stop thinking about how he was going to get his back, to make his team whole again. 

He made sure to park far enough that they would not be noticed, but close enough that they wouldn’t be walking for hours to get there. The team must have noticed how serious this was, for the questions stopped and they grew more focused.

“How are we going to do this? It’s not like we can just walk in there and order them to release her,” Kendra seemed like she had been thinking this through.

“We need to track her down and convince her to come back. Then-”

“What if she doesn’t want to come back?” Jax was looking extremely upset with that thought and it hurt Rip to see him like that. 

“We can’t force her to leave with us if she doesn’t want to,” Martin tried to comfort his partner but Jax shrugged off his hand. It seemed like that answer did the exact opposite that the rabbit had intended. 

“We won’t be a team without her,” Jax snapped back at the man and Martin actually flinched back. 

“Okay, stop.” He ordered them. There was no need to speculate about this. They would get Sara back, even if they had to fight their way inside. Though Martin had a good point. They could not force the white canary to come back if she didn’t want to. He knew that Sara would not hesitate to come back with them normally, but it has been a year since she left Ray and Kendra behind to become an assassin again. Who knows what she has gone through or what the League has done to her. He hated to even think of it, but they might be too late to save her. But he will not give up on her. “We will go in there and try to convince her to come back with us. And if she doesn’t want to...then I guess that we leave her,”

“What?”

“We can’t leave her behind!”

“Why would you even suggest that?”

His team had immediately spoke up, all of them against this decision. He had expected this kind of reaction from his team. Just the thought of leaving on of their own behind was unthinkable, and made him feel like he was being crushed under the weight of his guilt. He couldn’t even begin to think of what the others were thinking of him right now but he would stand by his decision. He has spent his most of his life trying to fit in, but also trying to be himself without being judged. He has been stepped on, hated on, spit at and even worse but there was nothing he hated more than being forced to do something by people you thought you could trust. He would not force Sara to leave if she did not wish to do so.

“Look, I know that all of you don’t want to leave her behind but do you really want to force her to leave when she wants to stay? She’ll hate us if we force her to come with us and it will never be the same,”

“Than what do you suggest we do?” Carter seemed quite interested in what he had planned for this.

“Like I said, we go in and find her. We try to convince her to leave with us. All while keep out of sight of the other members of the League. The last thing we need to to cause an uproar with a group of assassins.”

Carter stared at him, as if trying to figure out if he was hiding something. After a minute he sighed. “You’re right. We need to do this quickly and quietly.”

The rest of the team was quiet for a moment before Martin straightened up. “Than lets get to it,”

They managed to get into the building fairly easily, despite being the stronghold for a rogue group of assassins. They crept through the halls, using Rays Atom suit to search places faster and silently. About an hour in, Rip was ready to call it off, and return to the ship when he got the call from Ray. He found Sara, in an upper chamber asleep. They rushed up there, careful to avoid any people they came across. They kept to the darkness so that they could discuss their next move.

“I’m going in.” Rip spoke up before the others could even speak.

“Don’t you think that we should all go in,” Ray was looking around nervously, as if he expected a ninja to pop out of the shadows.

“That would be a bad idea,” Carter jumped in before Rip could even open his mouth. “The League could have done something to her that would make her more...loyal to their cause,”

“Are you saying that she might have been brainwashed?” Jax looked like he was about to get sick at that thought. 

“Possibly. Or she could have just fallen into a time drift. It’s like a state of...how do I say this?” Rip paused. He knew all of the risks of time travel and this one was one of the most serious. “It’s like Stockholm syndrome. You live in one era for so long you become accustomed to living there and you can fall into a state of comfort and safety. You start to change mentally, believing either that you have lived there your entire life or that you just do what everyone else is doing to survive. It’s one reason why Time Masters are not allowed to stay in one time for more that two months. It’s probably one of the worst side affects,”

“Oh, like us.” Ray mumbled, probably not thinking that anyone would hear him. Though it seemed like everyone heard him. No one said anything, possibly due to the fact that they really didn’t have time to do so.

“Because of this, I think it would be safer for all of us, if it was just me going in.” Rip could see that some of them were still hesitant to let him go in by himself despite his reassurances. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

He pushed open the door slowly, hoping that he would not have to deal with Sara if she has indeed fallen to that particular problem. He may be a good fighter, but Sara would always be better. He gave his team one last look before moving closer to the sleeping form on the bed. He couldn’t help but notice how peaceful she looked while sleeping. He hated having to wake he up. But he needed to if he wanted them to make it out all together.

He reached out to shake he awake but before he could even make contact, his wrist was grabbed and he was faced with an icy pair of eyes. He swallowed at the look in her eyes and became aware of the blade against his neck.

“Who are you?”

That question made his heart sank. She didn’t know him, which means that someone has happened to her memory. His mind ran through all of the possibilities and none of them were good. He needed to fix this.

“Sara? It’s me, Rip,” He said softly, to not cause her to react violently. He didn’t really want to die right now.

“I don’t know you,” Her voice was cold, harsh. He tried to move away but her grip on his wrist was unbreakable. “You are trespassing upon the palace,”

“We, meaning the team and I, have come to bring you home,” He tried again, trying to see if she even showed a sign of recognition. Her expression didn’t change in the slightest, and he was starting to think that it was a little more serious than he had originally thought. “Do you remember me?”

“No. I have never seen you before in my life,” The assassin stood gracefully from the bed, still hold his wrist and a blade to his neck. “You are a trespasser and shall be judged before Ra’s al Ghul for your crimes,”

“Now wait a minute-” His protests died off when she whipped around and punched him in the face. He felt like he should be used to his team hitting him but he still grunted in pain as he hit the floor. He had almost forgot exactly how hard she could hit. He felt himself fade in and out and yet he could hear a commotion going on out in the hall. He knew that he could not sit here while his team was in danger and he struggled to his feet. Sara was not in a good state of mind right now, meaning that she would hurt the team without a second thought. 

The scene in the hallway made his heart stop. It seemed like Sara had back up and was now using that backup to restrain the rest of the team. If they had fought seriously, Rip knew that their team might be able to win. Though they were down three members, three very strong members. The others must have known this, or they didn’t want to hurt Sara, for they surrendered rather easily. Rip would have preferred it this way for it gave them a chance to get through to Sara. That is, if Ra’s al Ghul let them live long enough.

He knew that he should not fight, so when Sara approached him with a wary look and a raised knife, he raised his hands in surrender. He allowed himself to be chained to the others and soon they began their march to what was hopefully, not their death. The men around them remained silent during the trip but Rip did not expect anything less. 

The room that they were brought to was large, though only lit by torches. He found it a bit weird, but to each their own he supposed. The man that sat at the far end of the room was less impressive than Rip had imagined him to be. There was no doubt he was intimidating, but he wasn’t terrifying like the rumors had described him as. But just because he wasn’t, didn’t mean that Rip wasn’t going to take him serious.

“What have you brought me, Ta-er al-Usfar?” The man spoke his voice deep and it echoed around the room. That name, Ta-er al-Usfar, was Arabic for yellow bird. It was Sara’s codename when she had been a part of the League before and Rip wondered just how deeply Sara had placed herself in this timeline. It was starting to look like it was not going to be easy to get their canary back.

“Trespassers,” Sara’s reply was blank, and Rip winced. She sounded so...empty and he hated it. She should have never gone through this again. His decision to not force her to come back was fading and he knew that he could not leave her here to be used by this monster. “They came to my bedchambers, claiming to know me,”

“And do you?” The man’s eyes narrowed, as if the idea that she knew other people than him was ridiculous. His eyes scanned over the chained group, pausing briefly on Rip. Which made is exceedingly nervous. 

“No, sir.” The words were said slowly, almost as if she didn’t quite believe them. Her expression was still calm, but the air around her was filled with confusion. Maybe there was something that they could do.

The man, which Rip has identified as Ra’s al Ghul, stood from his seat and approached the group. He held himself tall and proud, his jackal features conveying his confidence. He walked down the line, eyeing each one of them. Carter was the only one that could look the man in the eye. The others either looked at the floor, or at the mans feet. Ra’s seemed amused by their reactions and it made him angry. This man was finding this whole situation funny and he wanted nothing more than to hit that look off his face.

When Ra’s finally made it to him, Rip held his eye trying to let him know that he wasn’t going to back down. Not now, when his teams lives depended on it. But it seemed like his ‘alpha’ posturing did nothing but amuse the assassin. He didn’t say anything to the Waveriders captain, moving on to Sara. He cupped her face in his hands.

“You did well,” The way he said it put Rip on edge and he had to refrain from saying something that could get them all into trouble. He hated the way the man touch the white bird, hated the way he looked at her. He has seen that look in the eyes of people who were very good at manipulating people. The ones that are good at it don’t make you fear or hate them. They made them feel safe, like they could trust them. The very best liars could. “Now, what shall we do with them?”

Rip knew that he should shut up and let this play out but he couldn’t allow this man to manipulate Sara any longer. “If I may intrude, Ra’s al Ghul, Sara is one of my team, a very important part of this team. I would appreciate it if you let her return with us, where she belongs,”

“Who are you to tell her where she belongs?” The man hums, his amusement fading. It was almost as if he expected Rip to remain silent. As if. He wasn’t really known to do that.

“Sara is free to make her own decisions-”

“You say that and yet you are, trying to make her leave? How is that letting her make her own choices?”

“I...” Rip stopped, because he knew exactly how true that was. How was he any different from Ra’s? Or even the Time Masters? He would be just as bad as them if he forced Sara to leave and yet a part of him was telling him to fuck it. Sara was free to make her own decisions and she came here on her own but she didn’t seem to even remember them. Whether it was a mix of a time drift and Ra’s influence, she was an entirely different person. “I don’t know but I’m not going to leave without having her remember us and then make a decision.”

“Leave? Who said anything about leaving?” The mans amusement was back. This man’s emotions were a wild roller coaster and yet no one was noticing but him. He found that a bit odd, for they were floating through the air quite strongly. He knew that Carter and Kendra at least should feel something but when he glanced at them, they looked confused but calm. Something must be blocking them from feeling the emotions in the air. That wasn’t the most important part right now though. He turned back to the man who was now walking around him as if he was a piece of meat on display. “You are trespassers. You’ve broken a law and you expect me to just let you leave?”

Rip’s eyes jumped around the room to take in the situation. There was no way that they would make it out of here if they started a fight. They were greatly outnumbered and the entire team was chained up. Not to mention they were missing three team mates. 

“Of course not. I expect there’ll be a trial?” He tried to act as if this whole situation wasn’t getting to him but his mind was racing, trying to think of ways he could get this team out of here. If he had come in here alone, then it would just be him, chained up here. He would have been able to use his power to get him and Sara out of this mess without causing too much of a scene. 

“Why would there be a trial when it is obvious that you are guilty?” The hyena’s smirk was back, and Rip’s blood boiled. How could he be so nonchalent about something like Sara’s life? Or maybe it was just the fact that he thought he won. He should know that the fox would not give up so easily.

Thinking that he had finally won, Ra’s al Ghul turned away from the group and started addressing the assassins scattered around the room. Rip ignored his words, he was sure that the man was gloating or spreading some lie about them. His mind went over all the rules the League followed and it did not look good. Trespassers were always found guilty and killed. Can’t have anyone find their hide out, now can they? He wouldn’t allow his team to die because of this. He just needed to think, to sort his way through this. Hopefully, he would find a loophole before they put holes in them.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " Everyone so so interested in the fight, they didn’t seem to notice that something was wrong."
> 
> Sara and Kendra fight while Rip tries to figure out where this weird power is coming from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should apologize for not posting in almost a month but things have been so crazy for me with college finals and work that I haven't had the time to write. Though now that school is over, I should have more time to write but I do know that my posting schedule might not be as regular as it used to be. I am not giving up this story so no need to worry. 
> 
> On another note, this story has gotten so much longer than I had imagined. I thought that I would have given it up like the other stories I had written. But I know that I am too invested in this one to let it go. I was just surprised at how long it was going because I have about ten thousand words written for the next two or three chapters.
> 
> Every comment, and kudos I get gives me inspiration and happiness so I appreciate every single one of them. So thank you and will post more when I get more written.

As Ra’s went on and on about trespassers and how sacred their organization was, Rip’s mind was racing with thoughts on how to bend the rules without offending any of the assassins in the room. He needed to be careful with how he handled this or they could all end up dead. They probably would anyway. Trespassers either were punished with a disfigurement, scar or amputation, or they could just outright kill them. There are trials, but the trials would always sway in the Leagues favour. Though...there was one thing he could do that would not cause too much disorder. And there was a chance that they could get out of her. But there was still a high possibility that it would not work but he had to try. He had to get them all out of here.

“I demand trial by combat,” He made sure to speak clearly, his voice firm enough so that the man would know he was not fooling around. He held his shoulders high and confident, even if he didn’t feel that way. 

Ra’s paused in his speech, turning to look at him in surprise. Rip could only briefly enjoy his look of surprise before it was gone. His calm, blank look was back on his face and Rip had to appreciate his self control. The other people around the were not so good at hiding their emotions. It seemed like the entire room was surprised at his announcement. Rip could feel their surprised, their disbelief and their amusement. It seemed like most of the assassins couldn’t believe that he would even suggest that.

Ra’s approached him slowly, and he could see that the other man was trying to read him. He forced the panicking emotions that were trying to come to the surface down to the back of his mind until he could deal with them later. “A trial by combat? You seem to know of our rules,”

“I do. And you know that you can not deny me this,” Which was technically true. The rules stated that he could ask for a trial by combat, and Ra’s would have to give it to him unless the man judged their crimes to be too grievous to allow them a chance at freedom. But from what the man had been saying earlier, their only crime is trespassing, which was not one of those grievous crimes. 

His comments only seemed to amuse the older man. He seemed to be interested in him a little more than Rip would like but he knew that it was better than him focusing on any one else on his team. “You’re right. I cannot. I’ll grant you your wish.” The man seemed to be contemplating something before he turned to Sara. “If you would,”

Sara nodded, stepping forward and drawing her sword.

Rip frowned and looked back and forth between the two of them. “Whoa, wait. I thought I would be fighting you?”

“Oh no. You must choose a champion for yourself from your accomplices and they will fight for us,” The hyena grinned and Rip was starting to see what kind of man he really was. He wanted to turn his team against each other. He wanted to make it hard for his team to fully accept Sara again if the canary did not come back to herself. Which would work if he didn’t choose carefully.

He knew that he had been distant from his team and didn’t know much about them. He had once thought that it would never be important enough to know because they would never be staying. God, how wrong he was. He should have paid more attention to them, learned more about them than just the basics so that he could make the right decision. He didn’t know exactly how close Sara was to each member of his team and that could come back to bite him in the ass. He knew that the canary was close to Leonard and Mick but neither of the thieves were here at the moment. But her relationship to the other people were unknown. He needed to pick the one who had the most in common with Sara so that maybe they could bring her mind back to the way it was. There wasn’t anyone like Sara for she was one of a kind but maybe there was someone who could connect with Sara more than anyone else on this team. He just prayed that his ‘champion’ would not be too upset with him.

“Kendra Saunders,” The room was quiet, and Rip glanced over at his chosen ‘champion’. She looked shocked and a bit scared. Though what caught Rips eyes was Carter. He, like Kendra, was looking shocked but also angry. Angry at him. Rip knew that Carter would never allow Kendra to be placed into danger but there was no other option right now. If they wanted to get out of here alive, Kendra needed to fight. He would have to deal with Carters anger when this whole thing was over. That is, _if_ they made it out of here.

The surprised wore off though and Ra’s waved to one of the hooded figures around the room. “Release Ms. Saunders if you will,”

“May I speak with her before the fight?” He needed to explain why he chose her, and hope that she would forgive him for placing her in this kind of situation. He knew that she would be angry and scared and he just needed to reassure her and explain. 

Ra’s nodded his consent and Rip didn’t hesitate in waving the young hawk over. She approached him with a worried look, her eyes flicking between Rip and Sara. He could tell she was scared but he wanted to be able to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. But he couldn’t do that because he knew that even if Sara left with them, they would never be the same. This experience would leave a mark on everyone here.

“Rip...” Kendra started, her voice soft.

“I’m sorry for volunteering you but I believe you are the best person for this. I know that you are scared-”

“I’m not scared.” Kendra seemed to know what it was he was trying to do and she stopped his efforts immediately. “I’m just worried that I might not be able to do what I need to do,”

“You are as good as Sara is,” He knew how strong doubt could play in someone’s mind and he wanted nothing more than to take her somewhere safe to comfort her. He promised that he would if they made it out of here. He would make sure that none of them we 

“That’s not what I was talking about. I know that I can match Sara. I’m worried about not _wanting_ to.” She looked over at Sara again, her eyes growing sad. “I like Sara. _Really_ like her. And I don’t want to be the one that makes it so that she doesn’t come home with us,”

“Oh Kendra,” He reached up with his chained hands and brushed her cheek with his thumb. Kendra leaned into his touch and it just broke his heart more. She was hurting and it was his fault. It was always his fault. “It would not be your fault. It would never be your fault. If anyone is to blame, it would be me. If I was a better captain than no one on this team would be suffering for me. But I can promise you this, I will not let this team suffer for me anymore. I will fix this.”

Kendra gave him a soft smile. “You can’t put all the blame on your self, Rip. Just like you can’t do all the work yourself. I want to help and I’m sure that the others do as well. I’ll do what I can to win this.”

Kendra, the ever kind soul. What did he ever do to have someone like her by his side, fighting for him? “You don’t have to win. All you have to do is make her _feel_ again. With your ability to make people care, I’m sure you’ll manage just fine,”

“Thank you,” It looked like she was about to cry so he gave her shoulder a squeeze. He wanted to let her know how much he believed in her but Ra’s was giving him a look that said that his time was up. He watched as Kendra walked over to her place across from Sara. He could see that she was still nervous but there was steely determination in her eyes. She held herself high, obviously not wanting to show any of her fear.

The room was silent before Ra’s called out, “Begin,”

Sara didn’t hold anything back, jumping right at her fellow teammate. Her white wings flared out and gave her the look of an avenging angel and it was one of the most beautiful sights he has ever seen. It wasn’t all that surprising because she was one of the most incredible women he has ever met, along with Kendra and Miranda. He knew what kind of women she was and he prayed that Kendra would be able to connect to that part of her.

Kendra was not letting up so easily though for she met Sara blow for blow. At least, that’s what it was looking like but Rip could see what it was really like. Kendra was holding back. It was obvious that she didn’t want to hurt her fellow bird, but if she did not get serious, she might not make it out of here. They might not make it out of here. Though he could imagine how hard it must be for her. To fight against a person who she calls team, family even. 

A strange wave of power rushed through the room and Rip sucked in a breath. He bit his lip to prevent himself from making a sound. His eyes scanned over the people in the room. Everyone’s attention was on the fight and yet he couldn’t seem to pin point where this feeling was coming from. No one else seemed to have noticed it and he knew then that it was probably something that only people like him could sense. It felt strangely familiar but he couldn’t quite place it. 

He didn’t like not knowing and had to do something. He calmed his racing heart and closed his eyes. He knew that using his power was not exactly the best idea, but he would not be caught unaware again. The thing was, he didn’t really know how to use this part of his power properly. Other times when he could feel peoples emotions, their positions and their power, was mostly by instinct. Or his other powers were so out of control that it just happened. Now he was fully trying to use his power and it wasn’t working. He still felt scared of his own power, which was probably why he was having such a hard time accessing it. 

Shouts of exclamation made Rip’s eyes fly open and he turned back to the fight where it looked like Kendra was starting to fight back with determination. She was even managing to push her opponent back. Everyone so so interested in the fight, they didn’t seem to notice that something was wrong. He shifted on his feet, turning his attention back to the strange power. He couldn’t give up just because he was afraid of his own power. He focused all of his attention onto it. He focused his own inner power on it, casting away his fear. His only thoughts were for the safety of his team.

He gasped in surprise as his Kitsune side flared up and expanded across the entire palace. He could feel the power of every living creature inside it. It was extremely overwhelming for him and he knew that he needed to focus on the other power before he got trapped in the feeling of the other beings powers. He shuddered as he found and connected with the other power. They were similar in types and he could tell that his Kitsune was pleased. For some reason or another, he felt like he needed to find this person, to find him and....what? He couldn’t quite understand what his animal side was trying to tell him. Connecting with this power had made his Kitsune side to show itself again, he held back on the physical changes, and his power raise high enough that it filled the room. His power, and the power of whoever it was, melded into something he couldn’t quite put into words. He could see it, in the room floating in the air. It was beautiful, the gold a bright red sparks of magic arching across the room. And he seemed to be the only one who could see them. Everyone else didn’t seem to notice it. The other power didn’t seem so bad anymore. In fact, it was comforting to him and strangely enough, it seemed to calm the anger inside his Kistune. He didn’t want it to leave, he wanted to find whoever it was this power belonged to and bring them back with him.

“I surrender,”

Rip jerked out of his thoughts, and looked back at the pair who were supposed to be fighting. He couldn’t believe that he had gotten so caught up in the feeling of the other power that he didn’t notice what was going on around him. Sara was looking at Kendra with an extremely upset look on her face. She must have remembered who she was, who they were. He could feel his mind calming and he should have known that Kendra could do it. It seems like he had made the right decision after all.

“I don’t want to fight anymore.” Sara had lowered her weapons and was shaking her head. Her white wings were lowered in sadness and Rip would not allow her to remain that way. When they got back to the ship, he would show her that she was not alone.

“Why is that?” Despite what Rip had thought, Ra’s did not look angry, nor did he look upset in any way. He actually looked intrigued. 

“Because I remember now. They were telling the truth. I-” Rip tried to pay attention but something else had caught his attention.

The power was getting closer and Rip could now feel that the power wasn’t entirely good. He could feel the power more clearly now and his breath froze. He knew this power, he knew who it belonged to. There was no reason why he would be here right now. Though he was more angry at himself for not recognizing the power. He had felt the power and it didn’t feel like this at first. It felt good, and pure but now it just felt nasty. After all, Chronos had a very unique energy. He would put not recognizing the power off to the fact that the bounty hunter did not normally release his power. The very few times that he had released his power, Rip had gotten out as quick as he could He did not want to fight someone with such a destructive power, even with his own power as strong as his own. 

He barely had time to step back before the doors were blasted open and the man walked through. The assassins reactions were slower than he had imagined them to be. He opened his mouth to warn them that their efforts would not do much to the man but they were already moving. He winced as Chronos smacked the assassins away from him like they were nothing but flies. They needed to do something before they all end up dead.

He turned to the only person who could make the decision. Ra’s was standing off to the side, watching the fight with narrowed eyes. He must have noticed that they would not win this fight so easily.

“We can help you,” He tried not to sound like he was pleading but it was the only choice he had right now. “We have fought him before and know how to take him down. Please, let us help you,”

Ra’s must have seen something in his expression or he knew that they could never do this alone for he nodded. It took a few moments to release his entire team, and only then did they jump into action. Jax and Martin fused into Firestorm while he and Carter just jumped right into it. He didn’t have his gun but he managed to grab a spare sword lying around. He would much prefer his gun but it would have to do. The ensuing fight was chaos and so hectic that he was surprised that not many people ended up hurt. At least, not many people from his team ended up hurt.

With the combined efforts of his team, and the League assassins, Chronos went down. He had lost his weapons and was kneeling on the ground. Because of his mask, Rip could not tell the mans emotions. The air was only filled with the declining power of the man and his rising anger. He could tell that it was finally over. They had finally gotten him, they had finally won. The bounty hunter didn’t even try to to fight back while he was kneeling on the ground, but he didn’t willingly give in either. He was passively resisting them, and Rip knew that if the mask was off, the man would probably be giving him the nastiest look right now. 

And Rip _loved_ it.

It was the first of many victories over the Time Masters. With their main soldier defeated, they would have a hard time bringing this team down. And it would be easy for them to destroy the Time Masters. After everything that they have done, Rip was done with them. They may do some good in the world, but manipulating time to suit their needs was wrong. He would not allow them to continue. He needed to stop them before they did something worse. And it started with Chronos.

He moved over so that he was standing in front of the armour clad man, the people around them backing away to give him space. They must have noticed the cold, harsh look on his face or could feel his intent. The sword he was carrying was not the best weapon to pierce the hard armour but it would have to do. He was going to kill the man for sure but first he needed answers. He placed the tip of the blade at the man’s neck.

“Why are the Time Masters so motivated to get me back?” His voice was hard, harsh and he hoped that the man would not be so stubborn. It wasn’t like he wanted to kill the man. After all, he was obviously just following orders. But he could not just allow this man to go free He knew what the Time Master would do to ensure that someone would do as they say. It must have been some good incentive because the man remained silent. “What do they want with me?”

More silence and Rip knew that he would never get any answers from him. He probably didn’t even have the answers he was looking for. It’s not like the Time Master told their underlings anything of importance. Just gave them their orders and expected them to be followed. He sighed and raised the sword again.

“I’m sorry for what I have to do.” He apologized. He didn’t like killing people, even if they were homicidal bounty hunters.

“Stop!”

Rip froze at that voice, whirling around in shock. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Leonard stood the door, leaning heavily against the door frame. He was extremely pale, and was clutching his right arm to his chest. He was sure that Chronos would have killed the man.

“Mr. Snart, what-”

“Don’t kill him. You can’t.” His voice was barely above a whisper but it echoed around the room.

“Don’t kill Chronos? Why not?” It was Carter who stepped forward, confusion and a small amount of anger in his expressions. “He tried to kill us on multiple occasions, has kill my son in front of us and you want to spare his life? Why?”

Leonard’s eyes flicked to Chronos and a look of sadness came over his face. It took him a moment to find his words and when he did, it shocked everyone on his team. “Because it’s Mick,”

The entire room was silent at that point, even the League. Rip frowned and looked between Chronos and Leonard several times before it set in. He couldn’t stop himself as he turned around, dropping the sword and moving closer to the bounty hunter. He heard Leonard make a small noise but he ignored him. He reached out and yanked the mans helmet off. He stumbled back a few steps when he saw Mick glaring up at him. Leonard was telling the truth. Chronos was Mick. No, Mick was Chronos. Either way, this just raised a bunch of questions in his mind. And it seemed it wasn’t just for him either.

“What’s going on?”

“Why is Mick Chronos?”

“Why would Mick try to kill us?”

Rip knew that he had to gain control over this situation before it got out of hand. He wanted to know so much, to ask Mick so many questions but he knew it would have to wait. They needed to get out of this place so that they could focus solely on understanding why Mick had betrayed them. ON why the Time Master had turned him into a bounty hunter. “It doesn’t matter. We need to get him back to the ship. We can figure out what to do then.”

He could tell that some of his team were hesitant to even think about bringing Mick on board after everything that has happened but Mick was still a part of their team. A part of their family. And Rip would do whatever it took to make sure that Mick came back to them in both body and mind. This team, this family, was strongest when all of them were together. He would make sure that none of them were separated ever again. Even if he had to sleep with Ray every night to comfort him through his nightmares, even if he had to help Sara through her bloodlust, or even if he had to forcefully restrain Mick to fix whatever the Time Masters had done to him, He would do it. This family would be whole again.

“Take Mick back to the ship and put him in the brig for now. Gideon can give you directions. Professor Stein, get Mr. Snart to the med bay and give him some pain killers. I’ll be there soon,” Rip started barking out orders. He knew that any other time, almost everyone would have something to say, something to argue with him about but it seemed like everyone knew exactly how serious this entire situation was. He got a few odd looks but he ignored them. For now, he needed to placate Ra’s al Ghul right now so that Sara would be able to come home with them. He had a feeling through, that after this event, the League leader would not give him too much trouble. It would most likely be up to Sara on whether or not she wants to leave. 

Mick didn’t say anything as the others as he was lead away, his gaze straight ahead. What his ex-employers must have done to him to make him this way was making his anger grow again. They would pay for hurting his family. He would make them hurt double for what they have done to Mick. They would have to go through him if they want to hurt any more of his team.

Once his team had left, it was just he, Sara and Ra’s left in the room. Ra’s must have ordered everyone out while he was giving orders to his own team. He didn’t know how to start this conversation but it seemed like Sara was way ahead of him.

“Ra’s al Ghul, I am honoured that you have given the chance to work under you. I have learned a lot while under your tutelage, but it is time for me to move on. I had thought that maybe I could find a home here once more, but it seems that I was mistaken. My home is with them,”

“I know.” The older man gave Sara a small smile. Rip would have never believed that the man could smile in a way that showed he actually cared about someone. “I saw the way you fought with your team and I can see now what your team leader had meant when he said you belong with them. You don’t belong here with us. Even before your team showed up I could see that. I believe that it is time for your next adventure,”

Rip knew that he needed to speak up now before he never got the chance. “Thank you. I know that Sara must mean a lot to you and this...organization.”

“She does. But she also has a lot more to learn. Plus, this is her decision. Which is why I am letting her go back with you without much more of a fight,” Ra’s turned his attention to the ex-Time master and he couldn’t help but feel slightly uneasy at the look in the mans glowing eyes. Who knew that a jackal could be so intimidating? “I am curious about you though, Mr...”

“Rip Hunter,” He saw no point in lying to the man. He would just see right through it anyway. 

“You make me very curious, Mr. Hunter. You snuck in here with the intention of bringing Sara back with you but finding her unwilling to go with you, you instead stay and decide to fight for her,” The man was staring at him like so many before him had. Like he was a complex puzzle that they wanted nothing more than to solve.

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Oh no, exactly the opposite. It speaks to you as a person, and has told me more than if I could see your true self. I feel like I can entrust her safety to you,” That was not what Rip had imagined he would hear from the assassin.

“Of course you can. I would never allow anyone to hurt her. I would give my life to keep all of them safe,” He swore to him, feeling a bit insulted that the man would even insinuate that he would allow her to get hurt.

The jackal eyed him and Rip felt like all of his thoughts were exposed to the other man. It seems like this man was more perceptive than Rip had given him credit for. “I can see how much you mean that. Now, you should probably go and tend to your other team mates. Your crimes of trespassing are forgiven and you are free to go,”

Rip nodded his thanks, moving towards the exit just in case the man changed his mind. Sara hung back for a moment and Rip distanced himself to give them some privacy. He knew that Sara was not going to stay but the fear in his heart was still so very potent. Even after returning for Ray and Kendra, saving Sara and finding Mick, it still felt like maybe he was missing something. Something that was very important and was making him feel his fear deep in his heart. He had every member of his team accounted for, they were all alive thought maybe not well. They would live, so why was he feeling like something bad was about to happen. 

A soft touch on his arm made him turn to see Sara. “Let’s go home,”


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team makes its way back to the ship and Rip has a chat with the resident thief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's another chapter. Sorry that it's a lot later than I had hoped it would be. I'm dealing with a lot right now. My graduation ceremony is in a few weeks, which is also when I'm moving out of my house. So I have had to deal with my job situation and moving and all that shit. Anyway, hope that this makes up for it. Enjoy.

His first order of business when he got back to the ship was to check on Leonard. It seemed like the others had no trouble getting Mick into a cell. He was eternally grateful that they did not have to fight him again. He made sure that everyone else was not injured and had tried to talk to Sara. She had claimed she was fine but needed time to think. He allowed her to retreat despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach and made his way to the med bay. He had not had the time to see the extent of the leopards injuries. He hoped that they were not above the limitations of this ship. There wasn’t many injuries that were above that limit, but he couldn’t help but worry about him. He always seemed to be in a constant state of worry with this team. They were always getting into trouble, always finding ways to cause him to worry, even if they had no idea what they were doing to him.

When he arrived in the med bay, he found that Martin had stayed with the leopard and was messing around with the screens and equipment. He looked panicked and lost, which caused his own fear to grow again.

“Martin, how’s it looking?” He moved quickly to the rabbit’s side, and looked over his shoulder at the screen.

“It’s fine,” Rip could see the thief grit his teeth in pain and frowned. His eyes scanned over the leopard and felt himself relax when he saw that he was only missing a hand. Definitely something he could fix.

“How is losing your hand _fine_?” The rabbit yelled at the other man, waving his hands around in a dangerous arc. Rip intercepted his hands before they could connect with any important equipment. Or hit him. 

He knew that he needed to calm the rabbit down before the panic got too much for him to handle. “Why don’t you go check on Jax? He was looking a bit down when I returned the ship. I can handle this,” He knew that if Martin stayed here, he would probably be getting even more upset.

“How are you going to handle this? He’s missing his _hand_!” The man didn’t seem to be calming down anytime soon and Rip was sure he might be getting another patient soon.

“Martin, he’s going to be fine,” He spoke softly, trying to reassure the rabbit. It didn’t seem to work as the man kept twitching. He moved his hands from around the mans wrists up to his face where he gently turned the man’s head so that he was looking him in the eye. He rubbed the back of the rabbits head to calm him. When he spoke again, he was firm, but gentle. “Leonard will be fine. The equipment on this ship can heal a missing limb just fine. He’ll be tired for a few days but he will have all four of his limbs. Go find Jax.”

Martin leaned into his touch, and Rip could feel the stress leaving him. He nodded slowly. “Okay. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. Thank you captain for putting my head straight,”

“It’s alright. It’s completely understandable. You were worried for a fellow team mate. I would have been just as freaked out if I didn’t know that Gideon would be able to heal the man. Because I know that, I am able to comfort you when you need it. So trust me, I will not allow Leonard to remain injured.” He ran his fingers through the professors hair again, making sure to rub against his ears, before letting him go.

Martin laughed lightly, and shook his head. “You are so steady that it makes me wonder what you have gone through to make you this resilient. But I’ll leave that until later. Right now, I’ll do as you have suggested and go find my wayward partner,”

Before Martin could leave, Rip pulled him into a tight hug. “It’s going to be alright, Martin. I can promise you that I’ll make this better,”

He released the rabbit and watched with a heavy heart as the man left. It wasn’t just Mick and Sara that have been affected the most by this whole mission. This entire team was suffering in one way or another and he had no idea how to make everything go back to the way it was before. He knew that it would never be the same, they will never be the same people they were before he picked them up. The only thing he could think of to prevent this from happening again was to send them home. But that would mean he would be alone. Again. He had thought that he would get used to that feeling, to being alone for he has been alone for most of his life. He hadn’t realized it until he had a team of his own, but loneliness was one of the worst feelings a person can have.

“If you are done getting all touchy feely with our resident professor, I could use some help over here,”

Rip turned back to the med bay bed to see Leonard holding his arm, his face clenched in pain.

“My apologies, Mr. Snart. I’ll get right on it.” He moved quickly over to the side of the bed, pulling out the necessary equipment to heal Leonard’s hand. It would take only a few moments for the machine to regrow the mans hand but it was painful and would have side affects that would last a few days. He would have his hand back though and Rip was sure the man would forgive him. “Place your arm on the machine please,”

“You know, you were awfully close with the professor just now,”

“He needed comfort. If I can help him with something as simple as this, than I’ll give it to him. There is not much else that I can do for him,” Rip help Leonard place his arm in the right position so that the machine could heal the hand properly. “Like helping you through this. I can’t make what happened better, but I can help everyone by being their when they need me and healing their wounds. Whether those wounds are physical, mental or emotional. It’s the least I can do for dragging you guys into my mess.”

“Is this another one of your ‘I feel bad so I’m going to suffer by myself’ sort of things?” Leonard gave him a deadpan stare but Rip could see that he was a bit angry. 

“I’m sorry?” Rip barely paused in his work, hoping that the leopard would sense his reluctance to talk about it. He knew exactly what the man was talking about but he had wanted to avoid this topic. Preferably forever but he knew exactly how curious this team can get about certain things. Especially the leopard, and he was hoping he would leave it be for now.

But of course, he didn’t. Or he just didn’t care. “When you came to my room the other day, you were saying how you were going to send us home because you didn’t want us to get hurt because of you again. Well, we have been hurt once again and yet we are still here,”

Rip did not like the way this conversation was going, so he turned back to the medical console and began the regeneration. “This is going to hurt quite a bit I’m afraid. I had collected DNA samples from all of you when you joined just in case this happened during our mission. Not that I was hoping that it would happen, but you never know what might happen.”

Leonard hissed as the regeneration began, but it didn’t seem like he was about to give up this conversation so easily. “You’re trying to avoid the subject. You are pretty good at avoiding things you don’t want to think or talk about,”

Rip tried to suppress his wince at that. Leonard was right. Whatever he didn’t like, or whatever hurt to even think about, he would shove it to the back of his mind and ignore it until that option was no longer viable. Most of the time, it ended with him drowning his thoughts in a bottle or throwing himself into an incredibly risky mission that would take his mind off of whatever was bothering him. He couldn’t do that now. He couldn’t allow any of his senses to be dulled by alcohol or by injury because the lives of his team depended on it. 

“I’m just saying that maybe that Martin was right. That what you probably have gone through have made you resilient but also afraid of getting close to people,” Leonard was not taking his eyes off of his captain. He wasn’t criticizing him, not really. He was concerned just like everyone else on this ship. They could all tell that there was something going on with the captain but instead of asking him what was going on, they were giving him space like they had all agreed. He could tell, though, that after everything, everyone was starting to hate agreeing to it. They all wanted to know what was going on so that they could help him through it. Leonard had a feeling that even if they did ask, Rip would still be hesitant in telling them anything. While it did seem like they had grown closer, there still seemed to be a barricade between them. Like there was something holding the captain back from sharing his feelings with the rest of the team. While he wasn’t one for emotions, he was worried just as much as the others. His attentions were drawn back to his captain when he started fussing around him.

“Like you are any better. You avoid getting close to people if you can help it. The only person you think of is yourself,” As soon as his anger had shown up, it was gone. He wasn’t angry at Leonard. He was angry because he was right. His resilience to pain, to things that most people would need to see a psychologist after witnessing, has made him jaded in most areas of his life. While he was growing up, he had known that maybe something was not quite right with him. Everyone his age did normal things for kids their age. He was probably the complete opposite of normal. He was more into knowledge than fame and money. More into books than sports. He preferred to be alone than with friends, not that he had many of those. Now that he had eight people that he could call a family, all of his insecurities were coming to the surface. Those insecurities were making him feel the kind of fear that made him so very uneasy about getting close to people. Which is probably why he was taking it out on Leonard right now. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Leonard was looking at him with a strangely amused look on his face. Like he had been expecting him to lose his cool. “Yes you did. And it’s fine. I do have a hard time trusting people because of what my father did and what so many other people have done to me in the past. But I have come to realize that this team isn’t like those people. I may not have been completely on board with this mission when you had first come to us but now, I don’t think that it will be so easy for any of us to leave now that we have found each other.”

“You say that now but what about later? When there’s a possibility that Mick is no longer Mick? Or if something else happens to another member of this team because of my inability to move on,” Rip growled low when he realized his anger was growing again. He couldn’t understand why he was feeling so angry about this. Normally, if he even thought about it, his emotions would go in the opposite direction. He would end up depressed, not angry. It was appearing that he was losing control over his emotions recently and he hated the feeling. No control meant that his choices, the ones he willingly made, meant nothing in the long run. That his life meant nothing, and that thought made him both depressed and incredibly angry. 

“Then we’ll deal with it then. For now, we do what we can to heal,”

The leopards comment made him laugh bitterly. Of course, it would be the professional criminal that would be telling him to leave their problems for later. The one who planned for everything didn’t want to plan for the eventual fall out of this whole thing. And that was the only thing he could think of right now. Of how this mission will go bad, how his team will see who he really is and hate him. For this team, his newly formed family, to leave him behind like everyone else in his life. Everyone in his life, besides his wife and child, have left him when they saw his true self. He had learned quite fast that nobody would love a monster like him and trained himself to be someone he wasn’t. But every time he had to fake a smile, or lie to the people he cared about, it broke his soul into pieces. He was sure that by now, he no longer had a soul that someone could love. So he had stopped trying to make people like him, shutting down his emotions and became the soldier that the Time Masters wanted him to be.

Then he met Miranda and his views on the world changed once again. He began to open up and found that maybe he could find love. The closer he got with the woman, the more he felt that he had finally found someone he could trust. That feeling pushed him to ask for her hand in marriage, even if it was against the rules of the Time Master. He didn’t care if he was breaking the rules. He loved this woman and had wanted to keep her in his life until he died. Apparently, she felt the same way because a few months later, they were married and he was living the life he had wanted since he was a child. To love and be loved. It got even better when he had found out that he was going to be a father. The idea of a family had broke down the final remains of the wall he had built up and he knew than that he would give up anything and everything for them. He had even thought about leaving the Time Masters so that he could be there while Jonas grew up.

Before he could even think of going through with that plan, they were gone. Savage had found them and they ended up dead. He remembers the moment so clearly even if he wished he didn’t. How it felt to hold their bodies in his arms, to feel their blood running over his fingers. How that monster had shot the six year old child in his face and that he barely recognized his own child. The ensuing emotions were chaos. Grief, sadness, depression but mostly, it was anger. Rage really. And it grew and grew every time he went back to try and save them, only to fail over and over. The more he failed, the angrier he got. His wall, that his family had broken down, was built once again, only this time the only emotion he felt was his rage. And that pushed him into breaking the biggest rule for the Time Masters.

He tried to change history.

Of course, that didn’t work out too well. Savage was still alive, his family was still dead and here he was, trying to kill an _immortal_ being with a team of misfits and criminals. His rage had made it so eight peoples lives were changed for the worse. Even if they made it out of here alive, they would never be the same. They could never go back to the way they were before he dropped into their lives. When they realize this, they’ll probably do the smart thing and tell him to take them home. When they did that, he’ll be right back to where he always is. Alone.

A ding sound from the machine in front of him brought his attention back to the present. If he allowed himself to think of the past, he would get trapped in his memories. Which always ends up with him numbing his pain in a bottle. He could do that later. For now, he needed to make sure that his team was healed before he took them home. He had made up his mind. Once Mick was back to his old self, he would be taking them home. No matter what the others said.

His gaze flickered over to Leonard to see him frowning. He opened his mouth to ask him if he was feeling any pain but the leopard had other ideas

“Good to see you’re back,”

Rip frowned in confusion. “I didn’t go anywhere.

“I don’t know where your mind went, but it wasn’t here.” The way the man said it, it seemed like he was bored but the air was filled with his concern. Any other day, Rip would want to comfort him, tell him he was fine, but right now, all he wanted to do was be alone with his thoughts. It seemed a bit odd to him that he could easily feel all the emotions around him. Plus everything that has happened in the past few days was making his head almost burst with the racing thoughts. He needed the time to sort through them, to find out which ones are important and which ones are not. To sleep and heal. To figure out their next moves and how he was going to help Mick through whatever it was the Time Masters had done to him. 

“I guess I’m just tired,” That was only the partial truth. He was feeling tired, but he was also feeling sick. Like he had a bad case of the flu. His body felt cold, but his heart was racing and he could feel himself start to sweat.

The look that the other man gave his captain clearly said that he didn’t believe a word he just said. But right now, he didn’t care if the man believed him. He could feel his anger growing the more he thought of what had happened to this team in the past few weeks, along with his panic. The thought of being alone again was causing his anxiety to sky rocket and he felt like he was very close to falling to another panic attack. He cared about Leonard, but he didn’t want him to see him at his worst. He doesn’t have panic attacks very often, but when he does it gets bad. Leonard should not have to see him like that. He would see then exactly what kind of man he was. He didn’t know if he would be able to handle having his team see who he was. To see that he wasn’t who he appeared to be.

He lifted the leopards arm, moving his hand in different directions to make sure that it had regenerated properly. The other man watched him while he did his tests but he didn’t ask the questions that Rip had no doubt were on his mind. His eyes were narrowed as he studied him and Rip was sure he saw the man frown, as if he was seeing something he didn’t like. Rip wasn’t all that surprised. He knew that the other man didn’t like him much.

“You’ll be fine. Get some rest and let me know if there is any pain or discomfort,” Without giving the man a chance to speak, Rip turned on his heel and left the room. He knew that the man wanted to dig into his answers but right now he couldn’t do it. The edges of his vision was blurring and he knew that if he did not get out of here right now, Leonard would really see him. He heard the thief call after him, but he ignored him and rushed through the halls. He needed peace. He needed quiet before he broke down.

He made it to his door before the panic had settled deep into his bones. His entire body felt heavy, and his chest felt too tight. Too tight for him to breathe. It felt like he was trapped in a tight space that was running out of air. His breath was coming in gasps as he slapped his hand against the controls for his door again and again as he begged it to open faster. He could see the world start to spin and he knew that if he didn’t sit down now, he would fall down. The moment his door opened, he threw himself into the room and stumbled over to his bed. When he lay down and was still, he noticed how hard he was shaking. He no longer felt cold, but rather like he was burning up. His blood rushed through his body as his heart beat rapidly and it felt like a fire had been lit inside his body. He curled into a ball, trying to reduce the pain that was now spreading through his body. He whimpered softly as a thought hit him, something that he should have realized earlier.

Something was wrong.

This didn’t seem like one of his normal panic attacks. Something else was happening right now but he couldn’t think of anything other than the pain. The heaviness of his body was gone and he could feel everything now. The pain, the burning heat, the dizziness, the nausea, everything. Things that should not happen during a panic attack. He heard a high pitched whine ringing through his ears but he didn’t care to think of where it was coming from. He just wanted it to end.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip wakes to find a team mate waiting for him, who also see's a part of him he wishes they didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't realized how late this is. I have been so busy in the past few weeks I have barely had any time to write. Anyway, I hope that I can find some more time in the coming weeks. So here's the next chapter and enjoy.

It was pounding that woke him the next morning and he groaned in pain as it echoed through his skull. He had not realized that he had fallen asleep. He didn’t think that he would have been able to with that kind of pain running through his body. He had gotten so lost in the pain that it had seemed like days that he had suffered. And yet, he couldn’t remember much of it. He remembered the pain, but it seemed like his mind believed it to have happened years ago. His mind was so confused at what was going on with his own body. He was scared for he had no idea where the pain had come from or even why he was feeling it. He had not gotten any serious injuries at Nanda Parbat that would explain what he had experienced. His panic attacks have never involved this kind of pain. He couldn’t think of any reasonable explanation for it.

The pounding echoed through room again and Rip realized that someone was knocking at his door. He had thought that the pounding was just in his head. He forced his eyes open, and shifted. He hissed at the lingering pain in his body. He _ached_ like he had been hit by a really bad stun from a malfunctioning gun. He could feel every muscle burn with even the smallest movement. He didn’t want to get up. He didn’t even want to move. He wanted to just lay here and go back to sleep. He was sure that whoever it was would go away if he just ignored them.

“Rip, I know you are in there. Open the door or I’ll come in.” Sara’s voice came from outside his door and he winced. He knew he would never be able to ignore her for she was one hell of a force to be reckoned with. He knew that he would rather deal with the pain, than the wrath of the white canary. So he braced himself against the pain and in one quick motion, stood up. He wobbled dangerously as the room spun around him but managed to stay upright. His stomach rolled and he was sure that if he had anything in his stomach, that it would be all over the floor. He breathed through his mouth to try and settle his stomach but he could still taste the faint taste of bile on the back of his tongue. At least he was feeling better than he was last night. It raised so many questions but there was one big one that was running through his mind.

What the hell could have caused that kind of reaction in him?

He would have to put the questions on hold for now. Sara would only have so much patience with him before she forced her way into his room. Even though he had measures against unwanted visitors, he had no doubt that the woman would be able to bypass them easily. He stumbled over to the door and braced himself against the power that was Sara Lance. Hopefully whatever he had done to piss her off wasn’t that serious so that he could go back to bed. Or maybe even to the med bay. Whatever it was that was happening to him seemed serious and maybe Gideon would be able to figure out what exactly it was. With an aching body, and fuzzy mind, he opened the door.

Sara actually looked relieved to see him. So he wasn’t in trouble than. He could see her body relax and he wondered what could have caused her to get this worried. “There you are. Everyone was getting worried about you since you disappeared,”

Rip shrugged and immediately regretted it. Sharp pains flashed across his body. He tried not to show exactly how much he hurt but he could suppress the wince when he shifted and the world spun. He took a deep breath to focus his mind before he passed out again. He would hate to have to explain that to her. “Why? I told Leonard that I was going to lie down. I wasn’t feeling the best so I decided to get some rest before I confronted Mick.”

Sara’s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. She looked like she disagreed with his answer but he was telling the truth. He really was not feeling the best when he had left Leonard. Unless something had happened that he should know about. He was starting to feel slightly worried himself. Had something happened to the team while he had been unconscious? Her next words soothed his worries slightly. “Yeah, and that was almost eighteen hours ago,”

Rip froze at those words. That could not possibly be true. There was no way that he could have lost that much time. Unless...did the pain make him lose that much time? “ _E-eighteen hours?_ How the hell did that happen?”

Sara rose an eyebrow at that, like she couldn’t believe that he didn’t know. “You didn’t know?”

“How was I supposed to know? I was sleeping,” He could see the look in her eyes, the same one he got from everyone else he has met. Distrust and disbelief. Like she could tell he was lying. 

“For the whole eighteen hours?”

He tried not to let the fact that she didn’t trust him, bother him. “Apparently. I didn’t even know I had slept that long. Must have been tired huh?” He tried to put it off like it was nothing. He didn’t really want to tell her about what he had experienced last night. There would be an endless string of questioning, one which he did not want to even think about right now. It wasn’t like he had the answers anyway. “Anyway, has anything happened with Mick?”

“Don’t think that I don’t know what you are trying to do,” She gave him a look that made him want to immediately apologize to her for trying to trick her. But he didn’t. He held his ground and hoped that she would move past the current subject to something more important. She seemed to realize that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore as she sighed and shook her head. “This happens way too often but I’m going to let it go for now. We need to deal with the bigger problem.”

“Mick,”

Sara nodded. “Yeah. Both Len and I have tried to talk to him first before anyone else could. We didn’t know exactly what his mindset was, and didn’t want to allow the more sensitive members to talk to him just in case he’s too far gone,”

That made sense to him. He wanted Leonard and Sara to talk to the man first because they had more of a connection to the man and would probably be able to trigger a response in him. More than he could, he knew that for sure. “Understandable. The Time Masters don’t like emotions. At least, positive emotions. For them to make it so that Mick would want to kill us, I have no doubt that they planted some kind of negative emotion into his mind about us,”

Sara laughed and Rip could practically taste the bitterness in the air. “Oh you got that right. When we tried to talk him, all we got were snarls and hateful remarks. But there was something though, something off about his actions. I can’t put my fingers on it though,”

Her worried look made him feel like he should have been there for her. She had confronted a man once thought to be her friend, now turned enemy. It must have been even worse for Leonard. He knew how that felt and he felt his guilt growing again. He pushed it down. The last thing he needed was for Sara to see his emotions. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”

“I hope so. You should have seen Len’s face after talking with Mick. He looked completely broken.” Her voice broke and Rip instinctively moved forward to bring her into an embrace. He held her tight, knowing that she needed this. She needed the comfort and the support while going through this and he would give it. Anything that this team needed, he knew he would give them.

“It’s going to be okay. I’ll talk to him. It might be something that can be fixed,” Rip murmured as he held her. She was holding him close to her, almost too tightly. His body ached against her but he ignored it. Her comfort right now was more important than his. 

“And if it isn’t?”

Rip remained silent at that. He had no idea how to answer that question. To be honest, his heart was telling him that it was not possible, that there was always an option. That he would not abandon Mick again. But his mind was saying that he might not be able to help Mick. He has seen how the Time Masters have....convinced people to work for them. And most of them are not so easily healed from. A sharp pain went through his chest at that thought. He couldn’t think like that. “I don’t know. Let’s just see how it goes.”

He moved to step outside but Sara stopped him by placing a hand on his chest. “First, you need to clean up. You smell a bit...ripe,”

It took him a moment for him to realize that she had just told him he stank. He looked down at himself and could see that she was right. He looked pretty gross, and he felt it too. He looked back up at Sara, who had a strangely amused look on her face.

“Right. I should do that,” He nodded, but he didn’t move. He could feel the canary staring at him and he shifted nervously. He knew that he would not be able to hide much from her but it seemed like she wanted to say something to him but couldn’t quite figure out how to say it. So he decided that he would say what was on his mind first. “Listen, Sara. I’m sorry. For what happened to you.”

“It’s fine. It happened, it’s in the past. It’s over,” She brushed it off. Too easily, he thought. He could tell that it was still bothering her and he hated it. Hated the fact that she thought that she had to hide stuff from him. Not that he really blamed her. After all, how much has he shared with her? With this team? Not much so it was understanding that the trust wasn’t completely there.

Rip smiled softly and grasped his wrist behind his back. A habit he had picked up from the academy, one he couldn’t quite get rid of. “Yes, but it never should have happened. If I had been more careful, had been more of the captain this team needed, then no one on this team would have been hurt,”

“That’s where you are wrong.” Sara stepped into his space and he tensed to prevent himself from flinching back. He knew that action wasn’t threatening but he just couldn’t seem to stop himself from feeling that way. “Unless you haven’t noticed, this team can not seem to stay out of trouble. I would have been surprised if no one had gotten hurt.”

Rip shook his head. She just didn’t understand. “I’m not talking about physical injuries, though those are quite concerning as well. I’m talking about the long term psychological injuries that I am sure all of you now have,”

Sara tilted her head in confusion. “I’m not sure I understand,”

“Really? You don’t think that Mick hasn’t been affected by whatever the Time Masters had done to him? Or that Len isn’t affected by the destruction of his bond, or Jax with what had happened to him at the hospital?” He could hear his voice getting louder and more upset as he went on. He paused in his words to take a calming breath. It wouldn’t do any good to get upset now. “Every single person on this team has been hurt, or has lost something because I rushed into things. I was too concerned about my own problems that I didn’t think of every one else’s and because of that, the people that I have come to...care about, are now scarred in ways that cannot be fixed.”

Sara seemed unbothered by his anger and raised voice. She just gave him a gentle look. “You care now,”

Talking to Sara was like talking to a brick wall. She was so stubborn. And it showed that she cared, even if she didn’t believe she could. She had tried to convince him that she was a monster. He didn’t believe her because he knew exactly what monsters looked like and she was nothing like them. Like him. “Yeah, only after the damage has been done. The people on this team will never be the same,”

“And you think that’s a bad thing?”

That stopped his anger in it’s tracks. Rip frowned. “Now I’m confused,”

“You brought this team together. This group of wild misfits who one would think would never be able to work together. But we do.” Sara laughed, this time light and almost happy. “We may argue and fight but at the end of the day, we will always have each others backs. Since you spend most of your time hiding away, you probably have not noticed how close this team has gotten. This team has grown into much more than just a team. I mean, even someone as distant as you should have noticed how close Ray and Kendra have gotten. Or hell, even me and the two resident thieves. I’ve never really been good at getting close to people, especially after the shipwreck. I could never trust someone completely after that, nor did I feel safe anywhere but Nanda Parbat. But this team...this team makes me feel safe. Makes me feel like I’m needed,”

“Oh Sara,” Rip sighed. He could not imagine what she must have gone through in her life to make it hard for her to feel safe anywhere. He knew what that felt like, for he felt the same way. But imagining Sara going through the same things he did made his heart ache. Someone as pure hearted as Sara should not have had to go through the hell that she has. Sara might not be able to see it, but he could see how kind her soul was. She didn’t deserve this. “I can understand that you feel that way, but what about the others? Do you honestly think that Leonard will ever like me when it was my fault that his Bond mate was taken away from him? The Time Masters were after me and instead hurt them. And Mick? Do you think that he will ever not hate me for the torment that he had to go through because of me? Hell, even Kendra and Carter should be angry with me for the death of their son. I mean, why would anyone want to stay here when I have caused so much pain for them?”

“Rip, it’s okay. You’re alright. Calm down,”

He hadn’t even realized that he was panicking. He could normally feel it coming on but this time it seemed like it just came out of no where like everything else these days. He didn’t even notice how he was now shaking, his breathing becoming very erratic, and how he couldn’t seem to focus on anything for the world had gone fuzzy. He could tell that this was a real panic attack, not whatever it was that happened last night. He stepped backwards, wanting to distance himself from Sara so she would not see him break down like this. He had not even wanted to admit that he was this weak, that he was not strong enough to push through this. She would see that, she would see him for what he was.

_A selfish coward._ The little voice in his head whispered. _Pitiful excuse for a human. Weak._

The heavy feeling of panic settled deep in his bones and he knew that this was going to be a bad one. Might even be one of the worst ones. He has never had someone near him when he had fallen apart in the past. So his mind and body was reacting oddly. He needed to get out of here, he needed somewhere safe where he could fall apart where Sara couldn’t see. But where? There was nowhere he felt completely safe, no where he could go that could completely calm this panic. But anywhere would be better than here. Anywhere he could do this alone would be the best. 

“Rip? Come on, answer me Rip. How can I help?” Sara’s voice sounded distant, like she was talking to him from the end of a long tunnel. 

He wanted to believe that she could help him through this, that she would have no hateful thoughts on him. But his mind fought against his heart. His heart was telling him that his team cared about him, even if it was only a little. But his mind was telling him that they were not as forgiving as he would like them to be. After everything he has done to the team, he didn’t deserve their forgiveness. Why would he? He’s a freak, a monster. Useless. He was selfish to the point of sacrificing his team to get what he wanted. They did not care enough about him to risk their own safety and sanity. He didn’t know which one to believe and to be honest, it didn’t matter. His team was always one to surprise him. He would expect them to do one thing and they would end up doing the complete opposite. His abilities in reading people have been destroyed with this group of people and he didn’t like not knowing what people are going to do. But he did know one thing. They would leave, just like everyone else. And he would be alone again.

There’s that word again. The one he hated so much. _Alone._ Because of who and what he was, he knew that he would always be alone. There was no helping it. Sure, there may be people he can trust, if only a little bit but in the end it would always end the same. They would go their own way once they got bored of him or they would see him for what he really was and run away. So many people were scared of him, so many people hated him. No one could see past the monster. No one could see _him_. He had no one left.

He wanted to trust this team, he wanted it to be possible for him to feel comfortable and safe around them but everything he has gone through has made it nearly impossible to do that. The fear in his mind was too strong to overcome the want in his heart. And that fear in his mind was the only thing he could think of right now. 

The pressure on his mind was making him retreat, moving backwards away from the white bird. Somewhere in his mind, he knew that the bird would not hurt him, that he was safe with her but he could not stop himself from reacting. His instincts had taken over his body and mind. He felt his back press against the wall, and he felt his muscles collapse on him. He crumpled into a ball and wrapped his arms around himself. He used to do this when he was a child, curl up in a dark place until the panic went away. He always made sure he was alone when he fell into a state of panic. He could normally push the panic back until he was sure that no one was nearby. He could never be sure that his power wouldn’t lash out at whoever is closest. He didn’t want to hurt anymore people. He never did want to hurt anyone. He didn’t want to be that monster that everyone said he was. He wanted to force his power down so that he would not hurt this woman but it seemed like his power recognized the woman as...family? That was odd. He didn’t think that he had any family left. His family had left, had died. So why was her power calming his? And how?

The soft essence of the woman seemed to help calm his panic and raging emotions. He could feel her beside him and his mind went numb. He felt...safe. He didn’t know how to explain it. It seemed like her essence was trying to soothe his raging, wild one. And what surprised him was that it was working. It seemed like this woman was a good match for his power, for she was able to tame the monster inside. 

Rip soon became aware of soft humming, and he struggled to gain control over his limbs again. The room spun slightly as he looked around. His mind was fuzzy and confused and it took him a moment to take in the scene around him. He was sitting on the floor, shaking and trying unsuccessfully to control his rapidly beating heart. Sara was sitting in front of him watching him with a carefully blank look. Her wings were in a relaxed state on her back. She wasn't expressing the emotions he thought she would. It took him a few more minutes for his mind to clear enough that he could speak.

“I’m sorry,” His voice was quiet, and he winced at how pathetic it sounded.

Sara blinked and gave him a look like she couldn’t believe he had just said that. But he needed to apologize for making her see him like that. So weak, so broken. He knows that she will never look at him in the same way. They never do.

“You don’t need to apologize for this, Rip.” Sara looked like she wanted nothing more that to hold him but she made no move. She seemed to know that physical contact would not be a good thing for him right now. “This is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“It’s weakness,” He grumbled, his hands clutching at his dirty shirt. He didn’t feel comfortable talking about this, he didn’t feel comfortable admitting his weaknesses. He was learned from a young age that having weaknesses, much less admitting to them, was something you tried to avoid. 

“It’s not weakness,” Sara seemed offended and confused at that statement. She pushed herself closer, ignoring his flinch back. She sat so that her knees were only a few inches from his. “I am sure that most of this team has had a few moments like this. I know I have. Every time I lose myself in my blood lust, I feel like I am nothing more than an animal. But with the support of everyone around me, I learn that it is nothing to be ashamed of.” She sighed when she saw that her words were not soothing him in any way. “Look Rip, I have no idea what you have been through in your life but it could not have been easy. I can tell from the way you act, not just around people, but by yourself. And from what I have deduced, you have been alone for most of your life. You have never had anyone you can really confide in so you have never really learned how to deal with your trauma. It’s only expected that you have some trouble....coping.”

Rip laughed bitterly. God, how true her words were. His entire life is nothing but loneliness and pain. Any normal person would have found help to deal but he has always seen it as a weakness, something bothersome, he has always pushed it aside. He has always hid his pain and his hurt so that it could never interfere with his job. For almost three decades, he has hid his pain and stuffed it down to the deepest part of his mind. Apparently, that was not a good thing to do as it always ended up in a mess like this. And apparently it was obvious to the people around him if the look Sara was giving him was any indication.

“I suppose I don’t exactly have the best methods of dealing with things,” He mumbled. He could feel his body relaxing and he uncurled from his ball and sat cross-legged with Sara.

“Yeah, maybe in the past.” Throughout this entire conversation, her tone and body language hasn’t changed. She wasn’t freaked out, or disgusted like he had thought she might be. She was calm, and was trying to help him through it. He couldn’t understand how she could remain so calm throughout this who thing. “But you have us now. You have this team to help you through any trouble, and pain that you are feeling. I have a feeling that you don’t trust very easily but know this. We will wait as long as it takes for you to trust us,”

“Then I guess you will be waiting a long time,” Rip couldn’t but mumble. He liked this team, he really did and while he did trust this team to an extent, he didn’t trust them enough to dump all of his troubles on them. He had no idea how they would react when they found out that he has been lying to them about who he was. Not that he has told them much about himself, or the fact that most of what he has told them have been lies. It’s not like he wants to lie to them. It was just safer for them if they didn’t know.

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll wait,” Sara gave him a smile before climbing to her feet. “I’m going to check up on the others and fill them in on what happened. You should get cleaned up and meet me in the brig. Unless you need some more help?”

Rip knew that he was in no danger of falling back into his panic so he shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I am sure I can manage on my own.”

Sara hesitated as she stood up but sighed anyway. “Alright. But if you need anything, anything at all-”

“I’ll call you,”

“Or any of the others. I am sure they would not mind helping you,”

“Okay, I’ll call on one of you if I need help,” Rip knew that he probably wouldn’t call on any of them, even if he did fall again. He had a feeling that Sara knew that he wouldn’t. While Sara now knew about his...weakness, he didn’t want any of the others to know. Sara might understand why he was the way he was, but he doubted that all of the others would feel the same way. 

He watched Sara leave with a slightly lighter heart. He felt better but he wasn’t too optimistic to think that this would be the last of his panic attacks. Even though he had thought he was getting better, he felt like his emotions were on a wild roller coaster. Ups and downs, he could never predict how he was going to feel. It was so confusing, and honestly, he was finding it a bit annoying. To never be in control on his emotions. It was frustrating beyond belief but it seemed like he had no other options. So there was no use worrying about something he couldn’t control. He should focus on getting this team back to their top strength.

He struggled to his feet, his muscles aching once again. Everything that he has been through in the past few days was hell on his body. Even with the quick healing of his powers, he still hurt. He might have to stop by the med bay to pick up some painkillers. Though, he wanted to have a clear head when he spoke with Mick. Painkillers would have to wait until after. But he could really go for a hot shower right about now. It would also give him time to think and figure out exactly what state his mind, and heart were in.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip spends his time trying to figure out exactly what the Time Masters had done to Mick while trying not to lose his own temper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter. Next one coming next week probably if I get the chance to write like I have this week.

He stripped himself slowly from his dirty clothes and shoved them into a pile in the corner. He would clean it up later. He moved stiffly over to to his washroom, hoping that he would be able to take his time because he looked like he really needed it. He stared at himself in the mirror, not believing that the man staring back was him. There were bags under his eyes, despite the fact that he had just slept eighteen hours. He could clearly see his ribs and he knew that he hasn’t been eating much in the past few weeks due to the stress and grief. He was absolutely filthy. He was covered in dirt, from god knows where. Bruises from where he had been tossed around and hit by his opponents. Black veins were crawling over his shoulder and he turned to look at the mark on his shoulder. It looked worse, like it was some sort of infection or disease that was spreading through his body instead of a half form Bond. The area around the wound was bright red and inflamed. The black veins stretched almost half a foot across his back and shoulders. He gently pressed his fingers against the inflamed skin and hissed when a sharp pain flashed across his body, reminiscence of the pain from the night before. At least he knew a probable cause of where the pain had come from but one question came up.

Why? Why was this half formed Bond creating such a reaction? He may not be an expert at Bonds, but he knew that this has never happened before. At least, none that have been reported. So many questions ran through his mind as he turned the water on and stepped into the shower. What he needed right now was a few hours to sort out his thoughts, to calm his body and mind so that he would no longer be so confused. To calm his mind so that he could be the leader this team needs. 

The hot water rushing over his shoulders relaxed the tense muscles and he felt like he could melt into a puddle right then and there. He could feel his troubles washing away with the dirt and grime. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to go blank. No more thinking, no more feeling, just peace. Quiet.

He had no idea how long he stood under the shower but when he felt the water start to run cold, he decided that it was time to get out. He turned the water off somewhat reluctantly and just stood for a moment and let the water drip from him. He felt better already, calmer even. He pushed open the shower stall door and shivered at the rush of cold air. The steam rolled out of the stall in waves, and he hated to move out of it’s warmth. But he had to. He needed to make things right with his team. 

He dried off carefully, making sure not to aggravate his wounds. He had an emergency first aid kit in his room, which he used to dress whatever wounds he had left. None of them looked too serious, nothing a few days rest couldn’t heal. He didn’t dress up too much, for he was only going around his ship. And to see Mick. It wasn’t like Mick would care much about what he was wearing. 

He padded through the halls, trying to decide whether to check on Mick first or the other members of his team. Both required his attention. It was just about which one needed it more. He decided that his team were not going anywhere but Mick was probably only going to get even more angry. Whatever the Time Masters had done to the dragon, it could not have been good. Rip knows of the many ways that the council...’trains’ their soldiers, their weapons and he hated the idea that Mick had to go through even the simplest. He has gone through some of them, when he was having trouble coping with who he was. It was harsh, and painful but it has taught he many things about what he had to learn. And what he had to lose. And he knew that he would not allow Mick to lose anything else.

He paused outside the doors to the brig, his confidence in himself now back where it belonged. He would help Mick. He would help this team heal. Than he would go after Savage and end him so that he could see his family again.

That thought was what pushed him through the doors and into the room that held his hurting teammate. He moved around the cell, taking in the scene before him. Mick was sitting on the bench, dressed in the under armour of his suit. His dragon features were hidden, no doubt by the encouragement of the Time Masters. They probably didn’t want him to give away his identity so soon. He didn’t even look up as Rip entered but he could tell he had the dragons full attention. Rip remained silent in front of the doors, waiting to see if Mick would make the first move. He didn’t. He just looked up and sat back. He sat tall and proud and for a moment, Rip was envious of him. To be able to hold himself so high when he must have been feeling so many emotions right now. Though the most prominent one was anger. Rip didn’t even need to feel the air around them. He could see it plain on his face. He was so angry. 

“You just going to stand there and stare at me or you gonna say something?” Hearing the man’s voice again after all this time made something in his heart warm. It made him feel like his heart was whole once again. But he knew that he had to be very careful with how he handled this. One wrong move and Mick would be lost forever. Not just to him, but to himself. He could become lost in what the Time Master created him to be. He would not allow it. He would help Mick through this, even if he refused his help.

He huffed in amusement at the thought of Mick actually getting upset that he wasn’t talking. Normally, they dragon would be asking him to shut up. “No. I actually came to apologize.”

“Apologize? You? This some kind of joke?” The man huffed, shaking his head. He seemed like the same old Mick, only with more anger. That was something he was very good at dealing with. He needed to find a way to deal with that anger before it became too much for the man to handle.

He had the urge to start pacing like he normally did when trying to figure out a plan but he didn’t want to give Mick the satisfaction of knowing exactly how nervous he was. He wanted to help Mick. He knew that he could but his mind was also giving him all the ways it could go very wrong. He wanted to find a way where they could move on from this whole experience. He was nervous that he would mess this up, that he would cause another break in this slowly forming family. Instead, he stood his ground, and stared the dragon in the eye. “I know that I have said harsh things to you in the past, and I have hurt you. I have belittled you, and looked down on you. And for that, I am sorry. You’re angry with me, not them. So take your anger out on me. Leonard does not deserve your anger.”

The man grinned, but it was a nasty grin, filled with malice. “As far as I’m concerned, both of you screwed me over. I’m gonna kill the two of you first,”

This was a lot more serious than he had thought. It seems like the Time Masters had removed all of the good emotions about this team, and replaced them with the bad. Or they just amplified the bad so that they were stronger than the good. Either way, it was going to take some effort to make him remember the good. It could take quite a while to get the man back to the way he was before, but he wasn’t going to give up. “Mr. Rory....Mick. I can not say that I know what you have gone through while with the Time Masters, but I know that it could not have been easy,”

“You don’t know shit,” The man snarled, climbing to his feet quicker than Rip had imagined him to be. He stalked over to the glass, and Rip almost stepped back at the hate in the man’s eyes. He saw a glimmer of the fire in his eyes, the one he was trying so hard to repress. Maybe there was hope for their dragon after all. He would just have to see how this goes before he makes his judgment. “You have no idea what I have gone through after you forced my hand,”

Rip frowned at that. He had been expecting the man to lash out at him, but he wasn’t expecting to be blamed for something his ex-employers did. Though he didn’t blame the man too much. After all, he was the one that had pushed the man to leave them. But he still could have refused. Unless the Time Masters had placed a memory inside his head to make him think otherwise. Wouldn’t be the first time they have done that. “I forced your hand? How do you figure that?”

“You brought us onto this stupid ship on a suicide mission to save your family knowing full well that we would probably not make it home,” The dragon started pacing back and forth in the cell. Small snarls and growls echoed through the room, which just helped put Rip on edge. It made him feel like Mick would kill him if he got too close.

“That’s not true,”

“Don’t lie to me,” The man growled and Rip could not repress the shiver that went through him at the sound. It sounded angry, very angry. He could feel the mans rage flowing through the air and he knew that he would not be able to stand up to the man unless he used his own power. He was glad that the man was currently locked up because he had a feeling he would be dead by now.

It was strange how the man was acting. He wasn’t reacting like most of the people Rip has seen after the Time Masters had messed with their heads. Most of the time, those people are missing memories, maybe even their entire life but Mick seemed to know who he was, who the team was. Something else was at work here and he was going to find out what it was. His mind was clear and his body felt not so sore anymore so he knew that he could put himself fully into this task. He didn’t care how long it would take. He would help Mick get back to the dragon he used to be.

“Listen Mick. I am sorry.” He paused, a strange feeling growing in his chest. It took him a moment to recognize it as sadness. A deep sadness that he’s only felt when he thought of his family. Not that he was too surprised. He has come to think of this group of people as more than just his crew, more than just his team. They were family. Of course he was going to feel sad when he finds one of his family so hurt like this. “I am sorry for saying those hurtful things to you, for forcing you onto this mission and for whatever it is that the Time Masters have done to you. I am the one you are angry at so don’t go taking your anger out on everyone else,”

Mick laughed, bitter and full of hatred. He stalked over to the door and glared at him. “Don’t get me wrong, I hate you the most, but it’s not just you. I’m angry at all of you. When I get out of here, you and Snart are on the top of my list of who I’m going to kill first,”

Rip sighed. They were just talking in circles. This was going to take a while to get him back to the way he was before. Or at least, make him less angry and homicidal. But he knew that he didn’t have that much time right now before he would have to make a move. The Time Masters would realize that Chronos has been compromised and send someone else. And those someone else’s don’t sound too good. Rip knew almost every bounty hunter that the Time Masters had and none of them were nice. He needed to plan his next move against Savage before his former employers made their next move.

“Okay than. I’ll just come back when you have calmed down,” Rip moved around the cell so that he could leave. Mick wasn’t going to talk to him right now. He was too angry, too hostile for him to get anything out of him right now. So he would have to put it off for now, even if it hurt him to do so. Maybe one of the others would have better luck. He hated the idea of having the others face the dragons anger but Mick needed to remember what it is he still has. He needs to be reminded that he had a place here with this team.

“So you’re just going to leave me again?” The man huffed and shook his head. It seemed like maybe the man was in a talkative mood. Just not what Rip wanted to talk about. “Typical Rip Hunter. Did you know that I have never trusted you? Never believed a single word you have said to this group? Do you want to know why?”

Rip had a funny feeling of where this conversation was going. “Because you don’t like me?”

“Because you are a liar!” The man snarled, turning away from the fox with a bitter smile. He started pacing again within his cage. “I could tell when you lied. Every _single_ time that you lied to us, I could sense it. I could see it in your face.”

Rip had no idea why he was talking about this now but he wasn’t going to stop him. The more Mick talked, the higher their chances were of getting the true Mick back. “Then why didn’t you call me out on it?”

“Because I didn’t care. Everyone has something to hide. You are no different.” The man huffed in bitter amusement. “I should have known better. You are nothing but a coward,”

Rip felt his breath freeze in his chest at that statement. He knew exactly how true it was. He was a coward. He was one to run away away from his problems. He could run head first into physical danger with no regard for his own life but the moment it turned emotional, he was gone. He would run away and leave his problems at the back of his mind. He has been doing that since he was a child, not knowing really how to deal with them. Or not having the courage to actually deal with it. Though just because Mick was right, doesn’t mean that he was going to allow him to get inside his head.

But it did. That comment got right to his head and he spoke without thinking. He regretted the words almost as soon as they left his mouth. “I’d rather be a coward than a traitor any day.”

“That’s the thing though. You are a traitor. You turned your back on the Time Masters-”

“They turned their backs on ME!” Rip snarled at the man, the walls shaking under the rapid growth of his power. Bright gold sparks of magic flashed across the room in the blink of an eye before it was gone. Mick’s eyes widened slightly and he looked around the room. He turned his gaze back to Rip, now suspicious. He didn’t care though. His anger had grown rapidly, almost too quickly for him to stop it from lashing out at Mick. “They are the ones that abandoned me when I needed their support the most. I didn’t betray them. They betrayed me,”

The last words barely whispers but Rip could not stand to talk about this any longer and fled the room. While it was true he did turn his back on the Time Masters, it was well deserved. They knew exactly who Savage was and what he has done, but they still didn’t care enough to give him permission to go after him. It had been bugging him since he abandoned them at how easy it was for them to turn their back on him, to turn a blind eye on the immortal tyrant. The Time Masters were never ones to let someone mess with the time line. And yet, they allow Savage to run rampant through time. It didn’t make any sense at all.

He would worry about that later. The Time Masters would get what was coming to them. First, he would deal with Savage.

“That could have gone better,” Rip stopped when he heard Sara’s voice. She was sitting against the wall outside the room. She must have been waiting for him to get done with Mick to hear his prognosis. To hear if Mick could be healed. He was a bit surprised that Leonard was not waiting with her. After all, Mick was his partner and Bond Mate. She probably convinced him to go to bed. The man would need his wits about him in the coming week. He just hoped that the rest of the team would realize that as well. He couldn’t and wouldn’t allow his team to go into the next mission when they are not at their best. This team was all he had left at the moment. He would not put them in danger any more than he had to. He was tired of losing. He was tired of losing the people he cared about. No longer will he allow that to happen. He would rather die before he let that happen.

“Yes, I suppose it could have,” He sighed, moving over to her so that he could sit down beside her. He pressed his shoulder against hers, trying to comfort her. He had forgotten how close she and Mick were, thinking that it was only Leonard that had been close to the dragon. He didn’t think of how Micks current mental state could have affected other people on this team.”At least I now know what is going inside his head.”

“So they did brainwash him?” Sara looked pissed at that thought and to be honest, he was feeling the anger as well. He knew what it felt like to not be in control of his own thoughts and emotions. To have his whole being controlled by someone else. He was sure that Sara knew exactly how that felt as well.

“Not exactly.” What they did to Mick was obvious now that his anger was not getting in the way of his thoughts. He was silent for the next few seconds, trying to figure out how to describe it without making it seem as horrible as it really was. “There was definitely some mind manipulation but it was mainly his emotions. I believe that they threatened Leonard to get him to leave with them. The breaking of his bond must have caused some extreme emotions in him. They probably turned those emotions into anger. Anger towards us and this mission.”

Sara was silent as she processed this new information. That didn’t sound as bad as she had thought it would be. Her emotions had been manipulated several times and she knew that it was fixable, even though the whole process was hard. A thought hit her and she started to worry again. The kind of manipulation she has gone through was just the long exposure to her manipulators. Mick was with people who were so far ahead in technology that they might have done something else to him and Rip just wasn’t telling her. To spare her feelings probably, but it still hurt that he thought that he had to hide things from her. Despite their promise, this team has not been able to get very close to their captain. She hated it. It seemed like it wasn’t only Mick that was being pulled away from the team. She wanted nothing more than to help Rip, to dig into his problems so that he would realize that he is no longer alone. Though right now, the dragons situation was a lot more serious. “Is there a way to fix it?”

He shrugged, careful not to jolt her too much. “There isn’t really anything that we can do about it. It’s sort of like a cold. You can treat the symptoms, but there really isn’t a cure.”

“Than what do you suggest?” Her tone of voice suggested that she didn’t like his answer very much.

“Remind him of who he is. Of what he has lost, and what he has to gain. Give him a reason to stop being Chronos and start believing in Mick Rory.” Rip was sure that Mick believed that he and Chronos were the same person but he would prove it to the man that they were so very different. “It will take a lot of time and effort for us to help him through this but I am sure that this team can do it.”

“Damn straight we will,” Sara gave him a fierce look and he felt a warmth growing in his chest knowing that Sara was able to feel so strongly for someone. He had known that Sara had struggled a lot after she was resurrected and was glad to see he start to open up. It reminded him that maybe he should start to do the same with the rest of the team. The last few days have been complete chaos and he just wanted to hide away this team so that they could be happy again. He wanted to see Ray smile like he used to, to see Jax laugh at whatever it was that Martin was doing. He wanted this team to be happy and the first thing his mind supplied him with was to take them away from the fighting, away from the violence. To take them home. But the thought of leaving them has become too much for his heart and he knew that he would never be able to let them go without breaking into pieces. 

“Yeah,” He sighed, relaxing back into the wall so that he wasn’t so tense. He didn’t want to move. He just wanted to sit here with Sara because for some odd reason, he felt calmer. He felt safe with her by his side. Maybe it was due to the fact that she was their for him during his...episode, but he felt more connected to her than before. “We will. I am interested in how you are doing right now though,”

Sara frowned, and she shifted so that she could look him in the face. “Me? I’m alright. Why?”

“You just spent two years in the fifties believing that we had abandoned you there. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling,” He pushed down the guilt that was threatening to overwhelm him. This was about Sara, not him.

“I admit that thinking that you did abandon us was at the top of the list but I knew, deep down that you guys would never abandon us. After all, we are family aren’t we?” The almost innocent question gave him pause.

Rip could feel himself growing warm with a soft kind of happiness. He didn’t really know how to explain why he was feeling this now. He hasn’t felt this in years, ever since Jonas was born. The feeling of complete happiness. He had thought months ago that he would never be able to feel like this again after his wife and child were murdered. He found it funny that he could find it here, sitting on the cold floor with a woman who wasn’t his wife. If she was here, Miranda would have laughed at him, saying he was being stupid again. She has always believed that he needed to find people he could trust, even if it wasn’t her. He had protested at the time that she was the only one that he would love. She laughed at him and told him that he would understand eventually. He did now. He understood that he needed people that he could trust, that he could lean on for support. And if he come to care for them, then all the better.

“Yeah, yeah we’re family,” He said softly. 

Sara was silent for a moment, just staring at him with a strangely fond look. She laughed and shifted so that she could lay he head on his shoulder. He could tell that she was on the verge of sleep. “You know, you care a lot more than you admit. You try to put on this tough guy act, but you’re actually a total softy on the inside.”

Rip laughed softly at that. It was true that he now cared so much about this team that he would die for them but he wasn’t soft on the inside. He was a killer, a monster. Gideon, and this team may try to tell him that he wasn’t but he knew the truth. While he was getting better at controlling his powers, there was still a chance of him losing control. That monster still lived inside of him, no matter how happy he is, or how much he cared. It would always be a part of him. He couldn’t change that but he could change the way he acted about it. He could change the way he treated the people around him because of his past. He shook his head at the randomness of his thoughts. One moment, he wanted to take them home, the next he didn’t want them to leave his side.

And he would make sure that they would never feel this kind of pain again. Even if he had to destroy everything that he was to protect them, he would. He was tired of being so indecisive. He has made up his mind. He was sure that his monster would try to change him but he would not be moved on this. This team deserved to be happy and he would make that happen. He would make it so that Kendra and Carter could live without fear of being hunted down, he would make sure that Ray would never have to force a smile again, and that Jax would always continue to see the good in people. And he would make damn sure that Mick and Leonard can get back to the way they were. He would make sure they can be happy, even if it killed him.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip contemplates the team and comes to a realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Another chapter so soon? I had promised that there was going to be another chapter this week and I hope that I do not disappoint. And, there could even be another chapter next week as well.
> 
> Another thing, I have just started the chapter where it is explained why Rip has nine tails, why his powers are so out of control and why the Time Masters and Savage want him so badly. So look forward to that. Anyway, enjoy.

“What are you two doing on the floor?”

Rip was pulled out of his thoughts by another voice that didn’t belong to the white bird currently sleeping on his shoulder. He raised his head and saw both Carter and Kendra standing in the doorway of the hall. They both looked amused at the scene before them.

“Uh, well...” He did a half shrug, careful not to jolt the sleeping assassin. She had just gotten to sleep, and she really needed her rest. “It just sort of...happened. She needed the comfort.”

The hawks exchanged a look and moved as one over to where the two of them sat on the floor. Rip thought that they were going to move on, but instead, they settled in next to him. Kendra taking her place on his other side with Carter right beside her. He frowned at them but it seemed like his mind had gone blank and he didn’t know what to say. So he didn’t say anything. He didn’t say anything when Kendra rested her head on his unoccupied shoulder, nor when Carter shifted so that he could comfortably cover his mate, and incidentally Rip too, with his wing. The soft feathers brushed against his arm and he was surprised at how soft they were. He had to resist the urge to run his fingers through the soft downy feathers. He didn’t think that Carter would appreciate him petting the man. 

“So how do you feel?” The question was spoken softly, but not quite unexpected of the other man.

The question reminded him of what had happened the last time the hawk had asked him that question. He had had a little too much to drink and had lashed out at the man. He had been a bad place with his thoughts and his feelings and had hurt the man because he didn’t know how to deal with it. This time was different because he was more in control. And he felt safe. He didn’t realize it until now. Being surrounded by some of the strongest and smartest people he’s met, knowing that they had his back and would be there if he needed them to be, made him smile.

“I’m good. Better now that we have everyone back,” The cold of the hallway was being erased by the warmth of the people around him and the feeling of safety was making something inside his chest hurt. This feeling went beyond happiness. He was a bit overwhelmed at the feeling and for some reason he could feel tears in his eyes. He’s never felt like this, not even with his wife.

“If you are good, then why are you crying?” He felt a gentle hand brush a stray tear away and he looked down to see Kendra looking at him in concern. 

“Sorry. It’s just...I can’t really explain what I’m feeling right now,” Rip raised a hand so he could press it against his chest, where it felt like most of the feelings were originating from. It was like a mild burning but it it wasn’t a bad kind of pain. “It’s kind of intense.”

“I see,” The worried frowned turned into an understanding one. She placed her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Well, if you want to talk about it, we’re here for you.”

He gave her a smile. “Thanks,”

“Did we miss a memo or something?”

Rip looked up to see their youngest member and his partner standing in the doorway. He was looking at their strange dog pile in confusion. He was probably wondering why they were all sitting on the cold floor when they had perfectly warm beds they could be in. 

“Nope, but you are welcome to join,” Kendra waved to the pair, beckoning them to their group. There was only a brief pause before the young man grinned and rushed over to them. Rip had expected him to settle against Carters side, but instead settled himself so that he was stretched across the hall way with his feet against the other wall and his head in Rip’s lap. The fox blinked at the other man, not entirely sure what he should say. He hasn’t really been this close to his team, besides the odd hug from the hawks. And the strangely comfortable sleepover with Raymond. Okay, so he might not be as distant as he liked. Martin, on the other hand, started grumbling about his back and his knees but still settled in next to Carter. Despite the grumbling, Martin seemed like he didn’t mind having to sit on the floor with them.

“You don’t mind, do you Rip?” The cheetah asked, his brow furrowing in worry. He went to move away but Rip stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay. I’m comfortable and you are warm. There’s no need for you to leave.” He hummed, moving his hand from the cheetahs shoulder up to the soft ears. He didn’t know if the young man would allow him but he wanted to comfort the man. Even though Jax didn’t show any outward signs of worry or concern, Rip could feel it filling the air. Not just his either. Everyone on this ship was giving off quite a bit of emotions and he couldn’t decipher which ones belonged to who. Though he knew that only one person could give off such anger and hatred. He had focused on it when he had boarded so that it would not overwhelm him. He’s noticed that his heightened empathy was a lot easier to control when he had something else to focus on. Like the state of the other members of his team.

Sara, even in her sleep, was worried and stressed. He absently moved his free arm around her shoulders to hold her close. She didn’t deserve this. After everything that she has gone through, she deserves to be happy. Kendra was very much like Sara, worried but she was also happy. Whether it was because they were all together again, or whether it was because of something else, he wouldn’t know. Carter was a bit harder to read. He had such tight control over his emotions, Rip wasn’t all that surprised that all he got from the man was mild concern. Jax was the complete opposite of Carter. Even though the young man wanted to appear grown up, and strong like the rest of them, he was still young. He hasn’t experienced even half of what most of this team has. He still had quite a ways to go but Rip wanted to be there for him when he learned exactly who he wanted to be and any troubles he might experience for himself. Despite his age, Martin was still young at heart for Rip could feel the fear, the stress and the faint glimmer of hope in his emotions.

Delving into the emotions around him made him relaxed and sleepy and it wasn’t long before he was dozing along with everyone else. He found it surprising that both his body and his mind was relaxed. He felt no fear, no hate, just peace. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this. He wasn’t even sure if he has. 

A sudden weight on his unoccupied leg made him twitch. He opened his eyes to see a sleepy wolf curling up almost completely in Sara’s lap. The white bird, seemingly by instinct, moved enough so that the wolf could fit into the pile comfortably. He still had no idea what was happening but he realized that he didn’t mind. He felt warm, and comfortable, and most of all, he felt safe. Surrounded by his team, he feels safer than he has ever felt. He felt himself drifting into a sleepy head space once again, not quite sleeping but not quite awake either. He just sat there, enjoying the company of his team. Though for some reason, he still felt...incomplete without the leopard and the dragon. He felt like this team was only whole when all of them were here. 

And apparently, someone else thought too because a short while later, the door slid open and soft footsteps echoed through the hall. Without even opening his eyes, Rip knew who it was. The man didn’t say anything, just shuffled until he heard a soft thump. The leopard must have settled into the pile somewhere. Rip felt too tired, too comfortable where he was to check on the status of his team mate. He didn’t worry though. He could feel the mans emotions in the air. It didn’t seem like the man was trying to hide them like he normally did. It might just be because of the kind of week they had, but Leonard seem more tired than usual.

He felt like he should say something to the man. It was his fault that Mick ended up the way he was. He wanted to make it right with this team. He kept his voice soft, but he knew that the man could hear him. “Mick’s tough. He’ll be okay. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that he comes back to us,”

He heard a soft laugh from his right. He guessed that the man had taken up position on Sara’s other side. He knew that the man found comfort in their resident assassin. It made him strangely...happy to know that someone like Leonard could find comfort in a group of misfits like them. People in this group have gotten very close, closer than he had thought they would.

When he had started this whole mission, when he had made the choice to go after Savage, he wasn’t really thinking of much other than revenge. His attempts to save his family by going back farther and farther back in time were failures. He had tried over five times to try and save them before he realized that it was no use. He would never be able to save his family that way. So he decided to go after the source. Stop him before he even had the idea to kill his family. The thing was, he didn’t know much about Vandal Savage before he killed his family. He knew that he was attempting to take over the world and that he had a strange way of doing things but that is about it. He had never needed to know more than that for his conquest was a part of history. Rip had gotten Gideon to dig up everything about the man that she could. And what she had found, was shocking. He had known he was powerful, but immortal? He had not been expecting that. Not the strangest things he has ever come across but definitely one of the most difficult to deal with. How was he going to kill someone who was unable to die?

This pushed him to do an even more in depth research on the man which led him to the hawk mates. At first, he had just planned on bringing them onto this mission. After all, it was just the two of them that could kill Savage. He didn’t need anyone else, didn’t want anyone else. So he started his planning, adding in the demi-gods to it. But as the plan came together, he could see that it wasn’t going to work. With just the three of them, they would never be able to do what they had wanted. Through his calculations, it still wasn’t enough. There was only a 17% chance of success with just the three of them. He hated wasting time on making this team so he just had Gideon look up anyone that could offer something to the mission and had minimal effect on the time line. What she came up with was too many for his tastes. Over twenty names, all with different abilities and skill sets. He needed to narrow it down some more. With Gideon’s help, he managed to get rid of the obvious ones, and choose the ones most likely to help with the mission. He was quite skeptical at first. Who wouldn’t be with a group like this?

Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders. Two people that he pitied at first. Living two hundred and five lives, all being cut short by an immortal psychopath who was way too obsessed with them, was something he couldn’t even comprehend. Carter was the one he had his bets on. One for following the rules, using logic instead of feelings, unless it came to his soul mate. Rip had believed that it would be the one that would kill Savage. But he has since changed his mind. Kendra has become the one that has surprised him the most. On the outside, she seemed like a gentle, caring woman that couldn’t hurt a fly. He has seen her fight, he has seen her angry and he could tell that she could and would kill to protect the people she cares about. The two of them, mind and heart, had made Rip realize that maybe he didn’t need to be so afraid of his own emotions, not to listen to his logic too much or risk losing the people he cared for. And he could see that the rest of the team felt the same way, opening up to the pair more than anyone else.

After the hawk mates, his first choice from the list Gideon provided was Raymond Palmer for obvious reasons. He was a genius engineer. He had many talents, even if he wasn’t much of a fighter. Rip was sure that there would be a situation where he would be in need of the mans particular skills. The thing that surprised him the most about the man, was the fact that he had lost his fiance and still had such a bright personality. He had such an optimistic view of the world. For someone his age, he had such a childish personality. If Rip had met him at any other point, he would have thought it to be charming. Looking at what they have become now, he knew that it was Ray’s childish happiness was what kept the team from losing hope in the mission and each other. It was what helped them see past the darkness that constantly surrounded them.

His next choice was one that he questioned himself on. Sara Lance, former member of the League of Assassins. He had no doubt in her abilities. It was just her mindset that he was worried about. According to his files, she died and then was brought back to life by a mysterious pool called the Lazarus Pit. He had not heard of it before he had looked up Ms. Lance but it did not sound good. Bringing someone back from the dead is not an easy task, nor was it good on ones soul. Especially when that soul had spent some time in Hell. He could not imagine the damage that must have done to her but he knew that she was not the same as she was before she died. And yet, now that he looked at what she brought to the team, he was glad that he chose her. Even though she doubted herself, she brought humanity to this lost team. Gave the team the support when they felt not quite human anymore and he was grateful for that.

From the list, he chose a superhero team in hopes of equalizing this team out. Jefferson Jackson and Martin Stein, the two parts of Firestorm. He had always heard of Firestorm when he had been growing up. How the power could be passed on from one person to the next but there always had to be two people in Firestorm. He was always curious as to how it worked, especially with their separate Animalis’, and if he wasn’t on a schedule, he would have taken the time to sit down and just talk to them about how it worked. While Mr. Jackson was quite young, he knew that that the cheetah had some experience in fighting so he wasn’t extremely worried about him. He knew that he would also get a use out of Martins expansive knowledge bank. They would be useful to the mission, is what he had thought when he added them to the list. Except it was different now. Jax brought so much to this team, even at his young age. He brought a bright light that even the darkness in his own soul couldn’t extinguish. It sounded cheesy when said like that but it was true. Martin, on the other hand, was something he had not expected. He was like a child in a grown up body, so excited by new prospects. His youthful attitude reminded Rip that it doesn’t matter how old you are or what you go through that there is still so much to learn about the world.

His next choice had even Gideon questioning his sanity. After all, what in the world would he need a pair of criminals for? He could steal, and rob just fine. He didn’t need the kind of problems that these two would undoubtedly would bring. But his instincts told him that he would need these two for this. So he recruited Leonard Snart and Mick Rory. And it got off to such a fantastic start. Meaning that they disobeyed his orders, created some chaos, and yet still had the teams back when they needed it. He didn’t know whether to scold them or thank them. Both of their mixed pasts and personalities had made Rip believe many times that it was maybe not such a good idea to bring them along. As time went on, they proved themselves several times, enough that Rip started questioning himself. He started to believe that he had misjudged them. 

But then Mick disappeared and everything he had suppressed about the two of them came rushing to the surface. Leonard was very good with words and knew how to read people. He may have been a criminal but he still had standards. He would remind the members of this team when they have gone too far, when they are on the edge of their humanity a step away from going over. He would be able to bring them back with a few simple words. Mick, on the other hand, showed the team that it was okay not to know everything, or that they didn’t need to worry about everything. To relax and enjoy life. Now that Mick was back though, he couldn’t see much of that anymore. It had been taken over by his raging anger and Rip didn’t know how they would get through to him yet.

Every member of this team brought something that made it better, that made it work. Not just for the mission but for the sanity and safety of everyone on this team. Something he had not planned for at all but had happened anyways. Things that are unplanned generally seemed to happen around these people. Not that he would complain for everything this team has already done for him. Yes, they were an uncontrollable, rowdy bunch but every one of them made the team better, made the ship better, and made him better. He probably would not have admitted that if he was in his regular state of mind. 

The warmth around him, plus the calming emotions of his team, lulled him into another semi-sleep state. This was the first time he has had the chance to not think about anything, to relax enough that his mind went numb. The good kind of numb. His worries over the future of this team and their mission melted away with the bad emotions. To have no fear, no worries right now was new and slightly concerning. His entire life, he was motivated by fear or pain. To feel none of that right now was extremely strange for him. He didn’t care right now though. He was with his team, they were safe and soon, they would be whole again. That’s all that mattered right now. He would deal with everything else later.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip questions his choices in life and finds out that maybe Savage is planning something more for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry for the late update. I had a string of really bad luck since the last time I post.
> 
> For example, my laptop suffered a power surge that fried it and the usb that was plugged into it so I lost _everything_ including the 5 chapters to this story that I had already written, another LOT story that I was so close to finishing and a novel that I was sort of working on. I had to get a new laptop, which took a week to arrive and by that point I was on the edge of giving up. When I write, I write for fun. If writing becomes more like work to me, I generally stop writing. It's what happened to some of my other stories but I didn't want to stop this one. It took a few weeks to get back into the groove of writing this, and while it might not be exactly the same as I first wrote it, it seems alright to me. 
> 
> So give me your thoughts, so that I can be sure that I made a good choice in continuing this when I wanted nothing more than to give it up. I'm glad I stuck to it because I am actually starting to love writing it again and it has given me another idea for a LOT story that I am writing and should post soon.

Rip often questioned the decisions he has had to make over the years. It was normal given that as a Time Master, he had to make choices that would affect hundreds, if not thousands, of lives. That kind of pressure would get to anyone and he has seen it drive some people mad. He’s seen the power go to peoples heads, but Rip found most mission choices easy. Well, not easy but not as hard as it should have been. He normally found himself shutting down during missions to prevent himself from getting attached. He would build this wall around his mind so nothing could get to the softer side of his brain. Though, there were missions where even his wall got cracked and he grew attached. Those times things went bad and every time he would promise himself that he would never again allow himself to get attached to a mission. Look how well that turned out with this team. He hadn’t planned on getting attached to them and here he was, ready to kill and die for them.

Though it was his decisions that he was questioning now as he held his gun to the head of a child. A child only a few years older than Jonas when he was killed. But this child was nothing like his son. This child would eventually grow up to be a cruel tyrant, manipulated by Savage, but he was still a child in this moment. When he had told the team about Per Degaton, he had conveniently forgot to mention that he was a child. It came out quickly though as they arrived in the future and planned how they would end him. As expected, every single one of them were pissed off at him. They didn’t understand how desperate he was getting. Time was running out. It wouldn’t be much longer before the future set and any chance of saving his family was gone. If there was any other way, he would do it in a heart beat.

Telling them of what the boy would become had convinced them to kidnap the boy but not to kill him. They were convinced that they could talk to the boy and change his mind that way. Most people would be easy to change once they are shown the future they would create with their actions but Rip knew that it would not work. Savage has already got his claws deep inside that boy and there was no going back from that. So the only option he could see was to rid Savage of a major player in his game. It hurt to think of Per Degaton as a child, so he thought of him as a murderer. It made it easier for him to take the boy from the med bay to the jump ship and away from the people that would try and stop him. He turned off the comms and locator inside the jump ship so that they would not be able to talk him out of it or find him before he could complete his mission.

Except, when the time came to actually pull the trigger, he hesitated. Again. For the second time, when he has had the chance to save his family, he hesitated. He didn’t understand it. He would die for Miranda and Jonas, and he had thought that he would be able to kill for them but it seemed like he didn’t understand himself as he had thought. He had easily killed those pirates, happily tore them apart. He has killed rogues and rebels alike and while there was some guilt, it didn’t stop him from killing them. Was is because it was a child this time?

The child, who was starting to be the cruel man Savage had planned him to be, taunted him. Calling him weak as if Rip didn’t already know that. He knew exactly how weak he was. He was unable to save his family, even though he has been given chance after chance to do so. He had a feeling that nothing would be as simple as that. Instead of getting upset or angry with the boy, he tried to connect with him. The thing that his team had tried to convince him to do, was the one thing he fell back on when he had no other choice. He knew that it wouldn’t work but he wanted to have hope that maybe his words would make some kind of difference in how the boy would grow up to be. Maybe he could change how the boy would act in the future, enough so that his family would be saved.

He was kind of glad that he didn’t kill the boy when he got a message from Gideon. Apparently, the team could not stay out of trouble while he was gone. It seemed like they had gotten tired of trying to find him. They had to go and pick a fight with Savage and the boys father. He had no doubt that they would have trouble with how much influence Tor Degaton had. Good thing that he had the perfect negotiating item with him.

When he approached the area of the fight, cloaked in the jump ship, he could see that they were barely managing to keep the robot army and Tor Degatons men at bay. He landed the ship behind the Waverider and led the kid towards the fight. The look on the kids face was pure hatred and Rip pitied whoever would have to deal with him after this whole thing was done.

By the time he reached the other side of the ship, things had gone way down hill for the team. It seemed like Ray and Firestorm could not quite deal with the robots, even with Kendra and Carters help. The hawks would often come down to help Sara and Leonard on the ground but they too were getting overwhelmed. Sara had somehow managed to get herself caught by Savage when she tried to fight him and Rip knew that something was going to go down. Sara was trapped by the snakes arm around both her arms and waist, while being held at knife point. Her wings were bent into a position that looked very uncomfortable for her. She didn’t seem scared, only wary and very pissed off. He waited though, to see exactly what the immortal had planned. He still did not understand the mans actions throughout the past few missions and he needed to know.

It seemed like the snake was not willing to wait for him. He pressed the knife into Sara’s skin, enough to make her bleed. She kept a straight face but he could tell that she knew she had to be careful. “I want to make a trade. Your captain for the bird,”

“Why? Why Rip and not us? Why not Kendra?” Carter, unsurprisingly, was not afraid of the man. He stepped forward but paused when the soldiers raised their guns. He glared at them but stopped his advance. Kendra landed behind her soulmate and spread her wings protectively, even if Carter didn’t need protecting. “What are you planning, Savage?”

The snake seemed almost amused by the reactions of the people around him. The fight seemed to have died down once he had his hands on Sara. “Does it really matter? I’m running out of patience and will not ask again. Hand over your captain or I’ll start plucking every feather from this pretty little bird,”

Rip believed that it was time to step in. He had a feeling that if he waited any longer, the snake would run out of patience and Sara would get hurt. And that would cause a chain reaction in everyone else. This team may be wild and out of control at times, but they always have each others back. He just hoped that they had his back with this plan, everything rested on it. He pushed the boy forward as he spoke. “I think I have a better idea,”

The moment he spoke, he felt every eye turn to him. He felt a bit uncomfortable with the attention. It seemed that Savage didn’t notice the boy right away. His team did though. Most of them seemed surprised to see the boy in one piece. He tried not to feel upset at that but what else did he expect? He had kidnapped the boy away from the team, who he had told he was going to kill the boy. If someone had done that to him, he would have thought the same thing. He could not focus on what his team was thinking at the moment. He had to make sure that he had Savage’s attention and his interest enough to make this deal.

“How good it is to see you once again, Gareeb,” The snake purred and he couldn’t stop the shiver that went through him. He spoke almost like he was speaking to Kendra instead of him. It was honestly kinda creeping him out.

Rip would not allow the man to distract him, nor would he allow the man to get to him. He has let the man get into his head far too many times for his liking. He moved closer to the center of the group. “Let’s make a trade. Sara for the kid,”

Only then did Savage’s eyes flick down to the boy that was standing in front of him. The grin that the snake had been sporting, faltered a little at the sight. He knew then, that he had his attention. He wondered briefly if the man would risk his plans with the child for him. What was so special about him that made the immortal so desperate to get his hands on him? Would he risk his plans of conquering the world for someone like him?

In traditional Savage fashion, the man didn’t give in. He straightened up, and a mocking grin was back on his face. “What makes you think that you are in any position to bargain with me? What makes you think that that boy is important to me?”

“I do know that this boy is important to you, and I know why. I know what you plan for him to do.” Rip knew that it was risky to tell the man this much but he needed a bargaining chip if he was going to get this team out of here safely. “Let me ask you a question. Are you willing to risk all of your plans, and throw all of the effort you have put into this, for whatever it is you are trying to do with me?”

The silence following his question was deafening. It seems that most of the people here had no idea that Savage was invested in this child all that much. The eyes of the soldiers kept moving between Rip and Savage, not quite sure what to do. Their loyalty lay with Tor Degaton and his family. Attacking the Englishman could cause the young child to get harmed. They didn’t have any other option but to watch and react.

Savage seemed to be in the same predicament. His eyes narrowed and he was all but glaring at Rip. The fox could see the wheels turning inside the other mans head as he tried to find a way that he could win. “Why do you insist on denying what must happen, Gareeb? I will get what I want from you eventually. It’s only a matter of time.”

Having the other man knowing something about him was pissing him off. His hand flexed on the gun in irritation. He couldn’t show how much this was bothering him anyway. “What is it that you want from me? You haven’t told me anything,”

“I have given you enough.” The snake snapped baring his fangs at Rip who shivered at the image. How can teeth so small cause such pain in someone? He repressed the urge to reach up to his injured shoulder, which still has not healed. He didn’t think that it ever would heal. Even complete Bond marks never fade, even after a Bond is broken. He had gotten used to the pain that it has caused him to be able to ignore it. Now that it had come back to the front of his mind, it started to throb more painfully. He glared back at the snake, meeting his challenge. He would not allow himself to be threatened by him any longer. He was sick and tired of being so weak against the man. “Surrender and I’ll make sure that this little birdy makes it back to your other...friends in one piece,”

If he was asked to surrender when he didn’t have a bargaining chip, he probably would have agreed to the deal. He doubted that Savage wanted to kill him, and he might have learned more of why he wanted him so badly. But it wasn’t in his nature to give in so easily. And he no longer wanted to allow him to win against this team any longer. He would fight with all he had when his team was in danger. This time was no different except he would have to fight with words instead of magic. “And if I don’t? Because if you harm her, I can make sure you never get what you want. This boy will die, and you will lose. I will make sure of it,”

Now that seemed to amuse the snake. He chuckled and Rip had to grit his teeth to prevent himself from snapping at the cocky man. He was so confident in himself, but it was given with how long he has lived. “Can you? Because every time you and I face off, you lose. What makes you think that this time will be any different?”

Rip opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He couldn’t think of an answer to that question and it frustrated him. Because he was right. Every time Rip has come across Savage, the snake has won in one way or another. He may have gotten away alive each time but he lost something to the immortal every time he lived. So what would make this time any different from the rest?

“Make the trade,”

A voice from behind the soldiers spoke up, turning everyone’s attention to Tor Degaton. Rip was surprised that the man even showed up. He never would have guessed that this man was one of the men in charge. He was wearing a military bullet proof vest and he reeked of fear and worry. Normally, he would have felt bad for him but the lives of his team were at stake. He couldn’t afford to let his emotions get in the middle of this. He needed to be clear headed if they were all going to make it out of here.

“Excuse me?” Savage did not appear to like that order at all. His glare turned from Rip to the man, just daring him to continue.

“No, father don’t,” The child growled out but Rip pressed the gun closer to his head in warning. He didn’t know if he would actually be able to pull the trigger if Savage didn’t release Sara but it seemed like the boy’s father believed that he would and that was all that mattered. That man had the power right now, even if Savage would deny it.

“Make the trade with the man. My son will not be harmed because of your selfishness,” The man, a simple sparrow, did not seem all that threatened by the immortal beside him. Instead, he seemed to think that they were on the same side. Rip really wished that he could warn the man of what was to come for him but he knew that the man would never believe him. After all, what parent would believe that their child would kill them?

The snake couldn’t stop the snarl that came out of him at that order. Being ordered around by someone so much weaker than him must have pissed him off. Rip would have found it to be funny any other time. He had a feeling that if he laughed now, this whole situation could get so much worse. So he held his tongue as the snake turned to the man who seemed to think he could order him around like one of his lackeys.

“I will handle this,” The glare that Savage gave the little man was one that would scare any normal person.

Either Tor Degaton didn’t see it or he was just stupid for he continued to give his orders. “I will not allow my son to die at the hands of a stranger because you seem to have a strange obsession with this...nobody. Make the trade and let them go. I will not ask again.”

That comment kind of hurt but he wasn’t stupid enough to correct the man who was going to get them out of here. He was a bit more concerned with the fact that this man thought that Savage was obsessed with him. While his actions have been questionable, they were not the same as they were with Kendra. He had something in mind for the fox but he doubted that it was anything like what he wanted from Kendra. He watched as Savage grew angry but seemed to have come to a conclusion for his face became calmer. He sent a look at Rip, one he couldn’t quite decipher before pushing Sara away from him. The moment Sara was out of range from the monster, he released the boy who reluctantly went back to his father. Nobody was paying much mind to the kid so only Rip could see the look of absolute hatred on his face. Instead of stopping what the boy was going to do, it seemed like he just strengthened his resolve. So they didn’t change anything by coming here and have risked so much for nothing. It was always like this with him.

He didn’t have time to think on it right now for Sara was back with them. He urged the others towards the ship, keeping his eyes on the soldiers. He didn’t trust them enough to turn his back on them. He was glad that the others seemed to realize that this was the only way they were going to get out of this alive and were actually following his lead. Only when everyone was safe on the ship did he turn his back and make his way towards them. He slowed to a stop when Savage spoke again.

“You are only delaying the inevitable, Gareeb. What I wish to happen, will happen for there is not other option for you. So why do you keep fighting?”

He has gotten so tired of Savage playing the mind games with him so he couldn’t stop the mocking response. “It’s not in my nature to give into one weaker than me,”

The look of anger that he was now sporting was incredible but he couldn’t stick around to admire it. He turned and rushed back onto the ship. Without a word from him, Gideon started up and jumped into the time stream. Either she knew him so well to anticipate his next move, or she knew that they were not quite out of danger yet and wanted to protect this team as much as he did. Either way, he was glad that she did. He stood in the cargo bay for a few minutes trying to collect his thoughts. Now that they were out of danger, his mind seemed to have shut down. Or maybe it was just because he was tired of losing every single time they faced the immortal. He didn’t care which it was, he just wanted to lie down and sleep the rest of the day away.

But he couldn’t. He had to do a systems check on the ship and check up on the status of the team. Though he was not looking forward to the latter item. He knew that the others would have a lot of questions for him, especially concerning what Savage had indicated to him. Which he was still confused about. He kept talking about the inevitable and how he wouldn’t be able to resist much longer but exactly what was he not going to be able to stop? It didn’t make much sense to him. But he was lacking in the knowledge of his species. Maybe it had something to do with what was happening. The thing was, he had no one to go to to get information about his kind because his kind, even the most common of his species, were extremely rare. It wasn’t like he was going to run into someone like him on the streets.

“Rip?”

“Hmm?” He turned to see that he was not as alone as he had thought. Jax and the hawks were still in the cargo bay with him. He could feel him flush at the thought that they had just watched him stand here staring into space for the past few minutes. “Yes, uh...what can I help you with?”

“Can we talk? Somewhere more private?” Kendra pleaded with him. She looked very worried and Rip grew concerned that maybe the team was not as okay as he had first thought.

“Is something wrong? Has someone been hurt?”

The three of them looked confused at his question and he was sure that he had gotten it wrong. “What? No, no everyone is fine. We just wanted to talk to you about a few things.”

“Oh,” He had a really bad feeling about this but he nodded anyway and gestured for them to lead the way. He followed them down the hall. Well, he followed Kendra and Carter but Jax stuck close by his side, occasionally bumping shoulders with him. He could tell that the young man was trying to comfort him but that just raised even more questions in his mind. But for some reason, he couldn’t refuse. He could have given them some kind of excuse and hide himself away in his office or his room. Instead, he was following them to who knows where to have a conversation he didn’t really want to have. He knew that this conversation had been coming but he was not ready for it.

He needed to do this. He needed this experience to help him put his trust in this team. These three people were probably the ones that would not judge him too harshly for some of the stuff he has had to do. At least, he hoped so for he was ready to start opening up to more that just Sara. He wanted to feel safe with them at all times, not just when they have an impromptu dog pile. He would have to open up to them but he believed that he was ready to start trusting these people that he has put his life, and the lives of his family, on the line with.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip, Jax, Kendra and Carter have a talk that reveals a lot more than Rip could have imagined.

The trio led him towards a part of the ship he hasn’t been to in quite a few months. It was once a den, or rather the largest room on the ship aside from the bridge. He had never really had a use for it and it had just sat unused for most of his role as captain. He had just used it as a storage room for stuff he didn’t really need but couldn’t quite let go. It seemed like the team has put it to good use. They seemed to have found a few beds somewhere and placed them together along the left wall to make one big bed. He was sure that all of them, plus him, could fit on it. Along the far wall was a massive L- shaped couch that was facing a huge screen. He was sure that they were using the ships capabilities to watch movies and shows that haven’t come out yet in their time. He would have to make sure to monitor that so they didn’t change anything in the future. The place was in a bit of a mess but he could see that every member of the team has left a bit of their personality in this room. Knick knacks, pieces of different experiments, and weapons of all sorts decorated the room and for a moment Rip felt happy. Happy that this team has managed to create something between them. It made him glad to know that if he did have to send them home, they would still have each other.

“Sorry for the mess. We haven’t really had time to clean up with everything going on,” Jax explained as he led Rip towards the couch. It seemed like this was going to be a long conversation and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He was going to tell them what he could. He was going to try to trust them more, even if he was afraid of their reactions. He just wasn’t sure if he would actually be able to if something came up that he didn’t want to talk about. “You’re probably why we changed this around. It’s that-”

“All of you sleep in here?” It wasn’t all that hard to guess what had happened. This team was so close that he wouldn’t be surprised if they had done this within the first week of being on board. He was only surprised that he hasn’t realized it sooner. He has been busy but he had made it so he knew everything that happened on his ship. There wasn’t much that this team did that he didn’t know about. Though he normally found out _after_ they do something stupid.

“Oh...well, I guess you already know then.” Jax shrugged, shooting him a grin. Seeing him smile like this made him realize just how young he really was. He should not have to go through half of what he has. Rip promised himself that he would make sure the young man would make it out of this alive. So he would be able to see the world and know that not everything is as dark as it seems. “And it’s not all the time, and sometimes it’s not even everyone at the same time. It’s just when one of has been hurt or is feeling bad that we all stay here. Well, there are times where we all just want to be together that we sleep here.”

“I see.” He could not see any of the others right now and had a feeling they had emptied the room on purpose so that they could have this talk with him. He was starting to suspect that the entire team was in on this. He would not be surprised if the others had found a way to spy on them.

“Have a seat Rip,” Carter gestured to the couch and Rip sat. Jax sat next to him. Well, more like he flopped down almost on top of him. He sent a look at the cheetah but all he got back was a smirk. He felt the cheetahs tail wrap loosely around his leg. Kendra gave him a bit of space and sat on the other side of the couch, Carter next to her. The man held himself with ease but Rip could see the tension in the way he held his wings. He waited patiently for them to make the first move. This was their idea and he didn’t know exactly what they wanted to talk about. He had a suspicion but he wasn’t about to talk about something they had no idea about. Yes, he wanted to trust them, and he did to a certain extent but he just couldn’t tell them everything. At least, not yet. He had no idea how they would react when they hear that Savage had tried to Bond with him. He couldn’t imagine that they reactions would be good.

“You probably have already guess why we brought you here,” Carter was the first one to speak and he got right to the point. He didn’t waste time on small talk. It was one of the many reasons why he liked Carter. He wasn’t one to waste time if there was something important that needed to be said.

There could be plenty of answers to that particular statement. He wasn’t sure at what part they were asking about. He decided to play it safe and keep it vague. “I would reckon a guess it has something to do with what happened today,”

“Yes.” The way Carter said it put him on edge. It was like he was disappointed and confused at the same time. Rip shifted slightly and the other man seemed to catch on to his unease. “Look, Rip we’re not upset at you for what you did. We didn’t understand why you were so set on killing...killing the child, but Gideon helped us understand why you feel so strongly about it. While we didn’t really understand why you wouldn’t listen to other options, we knew that you are under a lot of stress,”

“Yeah, man. It’s kinda noticeable. I mean, you look like crap,” Jax grinned at him, trying to keep the atmosphere light.

“Jefferson!” Carter glared at the cheetah, who didn’t seem bothered by it. He just grinned back at the hawk who rolled his eyes. He was used to the childish antics of this team and he didn’t know why he even tried to scold them. It wasn’t like it did any good. This team didn’t listen to anyone unless they knew it was life and death. And even then, they liked to dig in their heels until they were heard.

Rip chuckled at the young man, not all that offended. He knew he probably didn’t look all that well. After everything that has happened in the past week, he was surprised that he was still in one piece. He had not planned for this mission to get so hectic but he now knew that there was no other way it could have been with a team like this. It seemed like this team could not do anything without causing trouble. “It’s alright. He’s right. I’ve been under some stress lately. Nothing that you guys need to worry about,”

Kendra frowned, seeming confused with what he had said. She also seemed upset with him, which seemed to be a constant thing with this team. He always said or did something that made someone angry with him. He couldn’t figure out how to handle them without this happening. Maybe it was just the fact that they are complete opposites. At least when Kendra got upset, he could just get her to talk to him about why she was upset. “Of course we are going to worry about it. You are a part of this family too. If you are hurting, it’s our job to make sure you get better.”

Rip smiled at them but paused when he realized what she had said. She said family. He had not realized that they saw this group the same way he did or that they included him in it. He knew that he shouldn’t be surprised. He has gotten close with the people on this team even if it’s not as close as the others are with each other. Even if he keeps his distance, the team will somehow find a way to get close to him. That was just the way they were. Even the ones that have a hard time expressing their feelings have somehow wound their way into his mind and into his heart. He knows that sounds odd, but it’s true. This team has become some of the most important people to him. The last few weeks have been a wake up call to him and showed him that it was okay to care for other people.

“Rip?”

Rip blinked and looked back at Jax who was staring at him with a raised eyebrow. The other two were sporting similar looks on their faces and he realized that he had been spacing out again. He coughed, embarrassed again but tried not to show it. “So uh, what did you want to talk about? We could not have come here just to talk about how bad I look.”

He knew that they were not fooled but he was grateful that none of them mentioned it. Instead, Kendra moved closer to him and grabbed his hands. Rip’s eyes went wide and he couldn’t stop his eyes from moving over to Carter, who didn’t seem bothered that his soulmate was holding hands with another man. In fact, he was leaning back against the couch, arms crossed, with a smug smile on his lips. Rip was sure he was reading the man wrong but when he reached out with his power to feel his emotions, it just confirmed what he had originally thought.

His attention was soon turned back to the hawk in front of him. “We are here to talk about you. We are all worried about you. We all know that you are a private person but keeping things that could be important from us could put this team in danger. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you feel like telling us could hurt us but trust me on this Rip. We don’t care about what you have done in the past, or what you believe we’ll think about you. Every single person on this team has done something that we all regret. You are not alone. You are our captain, our family. You do not need to be so afraid of us,”

“I’m not,” He straightened up at that accusation but one look from the hawk made him deflate. She was right, in a way. He wasn’t afraid that they would hurt him. It was more along the lines of what they would think of...well, what they would think of him. His fox side was not a good part of him and would do anything to protect them from it. If it meant lying to them he would. If it meant sending them home, it would hurt like hell but he would do it. They did not deserve to be subjected to the fox’s cruelty. Even if the fox was not all that interested in hurting them. It’s motivations were a bit hazy recently. Though, he didn’t know if he should be thinking of his own power like it had a mind of it’s own. It was his power but sometimes it felt like he had no control over it. Either way, he wasn’t going to let it get to the point where he could not control it any longer. He would not allow this team to be hurt by his power. “I just know the advantages of being cautious,”

“And that’s not a bad thing,” Carter had moved to sit right next to Kendra and placed his hand on top of theirs. Rip didn’t know how to react to this sudden display of affection from the normally emotionless man so he just sat there while the two shared a look. “But there is a thin line between being cautious and distancing yourself from everything that goes one around you,”

“I do not do that,” Although he denied it, he knew they were right again. He knew that he kept himself at a distance. He just didn’t realize that they knew it as well. He had a bad habit of underestimating this team. He kept forgetting that while they didn’t have the same training he did, they still all had their own gifts. And all of them are more observant than he had first thought.

“Oh really?” Jax spoke up from beside him and Rip did a double take when he saw the look on the cheetahs face. It was a mix of smug and that childish ‘ _I know something you don’t know_ ’ sort of look. He would never believe that Jax had it in him to look like that. Sure, Sara and Leonard he wouldn’t put it past them, but Jax? It seemed a bit strange. “So you do know that Martin has been trying to sweet talk Gideon under the lie of trying to get into the restricted sections of the ship, but he just wants to spend time with her because he fancies her? Or that Ray is sleeping with these two hawks? Or that Mick had been trying to get you to eat more and Sara is trying to get you to sleep more? Or maybe that every single one of us wants you to join us as family?”

There was so much information in those questions that it took Rip a few moments to process it all. He was sure that his brain shorted out a little from all the information. He needed to sort through his thoughts to figure out what was going on inside his own mind. And when he did, it got him thinking back to all the moments where those thing had happened. And came up with nothing. He could not remember when any of those things happened and he thought for a moment that Jax was fooling him. He turned to gaze at the younger man that told him that he didn’t quite believe what the younger man was saying.

“It’s all true,”

“Even...” His eyes moved over to the hawk mates and he felt himself flush at the image that came to his mind. When did he become such a deviant that he would think of his team members being intimate together?

“Oh yeah. That part is definitely true.” Kendra sent him a look that made him flush even more. “And it is curious that it is the one you focus on,”

“Wha-? No, no I was just...that’s not what I- oh my god,” Rip felt like his face could not get any hotter. He buried his face in his hands, hoping to get away from the humiliation he was currently feeling. He heard the others laughing but instead of feeling upset with them, he just felt an embarrassed resignation. “Yeah, yeah laugh it up. It was the only one that I was surprised with. The other ones I would not put past them. But to expect this...”

“Oh I see. That’s your excuse?” It seemed like Carter had a side to him that Rip did not realize for he kept on teasing him. He tried to act upset but he just wasn’t feeling it. It was good to see that someone so serious like Carter still has the ability to laugh after everything he has been through.

“Yes. That is my reason and I’m sticking to it.” He crossed his arms and couldn’t quite stop the false pout from growing on his face. It was strange for him to be able to sit here and joke around with the people he has hurt so much. He had taken them from their regular lives into a fight that had nothing to do with them. His guilt weighed heavy in his heart and he knew that it would not be easy to make this team whole again. And he wasn’t just talking about making sure everyone on this team was together again. He knew that even if he got Mick back to the way he was before, this team was still fractured. Each and every single one of them have been hurt in some way or another because of his actions or his choices. They would never heal from that.

“Rip?”

Rip looked up from where he was gazing down at his hands. Apparently, he had lost himself in his thoughts again. He really needed to stop doing that while in the company of his team. They would probably begin to think that there was something not quite right with him and he really didn’t want to answer the questions that would no doubt follow. “Sorry. I was just thinking,”

Kendra rolled her eyes, like she had been expecting nothing else. She had a strange fond look on her face. “We know. You looked really serious. Is something wrong?”

“No. I’m just...” He sighed and pulled his hands away from Kendra’s. A feeling that wasn’t quite sadness, not quite guilt, was pulling at his heart. He knew deep down that it was just his depression talking but the more he thought on what the team has gone through, the more it hurts him. He tried his best to avoid thinking like that but it always came back, no matter how hard he tried. But he couldn’t allow the others to know exactly how much it hurt. “I’m fine.”

The looks he got from the trio told him that they didn’t believe a single word he had just said. He knew that it was hard to lie to this team but if they knew exactly what was going on inside his head, they would never look at him the same again. They would think he was weak, or stupid or a monster. Or all three. He didn’t want that. This was the best thing that had happened to him since his wife and son had been murdered. They were just starting to mean almost as much to him as his family had and that scared him. He didn’t want to lose it after just discovering exactly how much they mean to him. He didn’t want to lose them even if they had no idea what he was really feeling.

But he wouldn’t keep lying to them either. Gideon had told him some time ago that he needed to trust this team. That they would not think of him as a monster, that they would not care about his past. He wanted to believe it but he realized now that it didn’t matter anymore. He had to stop running away from who he was. He needed to trust these people, even if it meant they would see who he really was. Even if they would hate him, he needed to get some of his doubts off his chest. And if he had to choose one to be able to help him through this, it would be Kendra. Not that the other two wouldn’t be able to help, but they didn’t have the same...emotional strength that Kendra did.

He sighed. “Okay, fine. I will admit that I am not okay.”

“Yeah, we kinda guessed that, dude,” Jax seemed to be struggling to keep a smile off his lips. Though as he watched Rip a little longer, he grew more serious as he seemed to realize how much trust he was putting in them. “Okay, look. I know that I am the last one that should be saying this because I don’t really know _how_ to say it properly but we know that you are struggling. We know that you like to take on all the weight of what happens with this mission and take all the responsibility when things go wrong. Let me tell you this though, you don’t need to.”

“He’s right you know,” Kendra spoke from his other side. Her voice was calm, and gentle but Rip still could not quite wrap his hands around the fact that they were trying to make him feel better. He knew that Kendra and Jax were some of the most gentle people on this ship and hate when people are sad but for them to pick up on his feelings for the past while was a bit surprising. He had always thought that he was good at hiding his emotions from other people, but apparently this team could see right through him. He shook himself out of his thoughts as Kendra spoke again. “We are worried about you. We all are. I’m not saying that you have to tell us everything either. We just want to know that you are okay and that you know that you can trust us with anything.”

The emotions that were coming off the trio were making him feel things he was having a hard time naming. He knew that they cared for him, and it was being proven if the love pouring off of them was any indication. He nodded but didn’t speak because he knew that if he started he would not be able to stop. And while that may not be the worst thing, his mind was still telling him to be cautious. It might also have something to do with the fact that he felt like he might start crying if he opened his mouth right now.

Once he had better control over himself, did he finally speak. “I’m just...having a hard time knowing whether or not I’m actually making the right decisions,”

The look that passed over their faces was something like relief. Like they were happy he had decided to trust them with this. Kendra reached out and squeezed his hands. “Rip, everyone feels that way. And given the position that you are in right now, I’m not surprised.”

He laughed, a little bitter. They had no idea what he has been through or the kind of choices he has had to make. He didn’t blame them. It was all on him for not sharing but it still hurt a little to know that he couldn’t tell them the whole truth. “That’s the thing though. I am a Time Master, or at least I was. We were taught how to make these kinds of decisions and yet when I do make the ones that they have taught me, I feel...doubt. Doubt that I am actually making the right choices, the best ones. And considering that my choices put your lives at risk, I can’t afford to be wrong or to doubt myself. You have seen what my choices have done today. While I can’t tell you exactly what or why, Savage is after me because of my choices. If I had just let it be, this team would be back home in their regular lives without having to experience any of the horrors of this mission.”

The silence that followed his statement was short but Rip knew that they were all thinking over his words. He hadn’t really meant to say all of that but he couldn’t stop himself. It all just came out when he got started. But it didn’t seem to bother them as much as he thought it would. It was kind of funny, now that he thought about it. His fear, and his doubt were all wrapped around the idea that he believed he was supposed to be confident and strong. That because he was the captain, he was supposed to know everything. He should not have been surprised that this team thought the exact opposite. Not that they had much confidence as a captain in the first place. He wasn’t that strong person he tried to act like and his choices were not the ones he had thought he would make.

A shift of movement caught his eye and he turned to Kendra just as she wrapped him up in a hug. He tensed, not really knowing what she was doing at first. He relaxed once he realized that she was not attacking him but rather trying to comfort him. He felt her pull him closer and he didn’t stop her. He actually tucked himself closer by burying his face in her shoulder. For some reason, every time someone hugged him like this, it felt like he could not longer control his emotions. He could feel tears in his eyes but he didn’t want the others to see how much this affected him. The only person on this team that has seen him cry or at least close to crying was Sara and Carter. He didn’t want that list to grow. He was supposed to be their captain, strong and sure. Not this weak man.

“Oh, Rip,” Kendra murmured, pulling him even closer. It seemed like she had felt his sadness. Her warmth seeped into him and he felt his spirits lighten, just by being close to her. Her scent, her warmth, and her presence was somehow making him heal more that he had when he tried on his own. “You’re okay. We’re here. We are all here for you,”

Her soft words were lulling him into a hazy state of mind. Which he normally would have been able to enjoy but he had a feeling he had to do something. Something important. But for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what it was. He allowed himself to enjoy the comfort that his family was trying to give him.

He felt a body press into his back, sandwiching him between the two people. He normally would hate to be confined like this, but he felt safe here. He felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist and a chin prop itself on his shoulder. The heat coming off the new body was nothing like Kendra’s, he almost felt smothered by it. But he didn’t want to move. Being held like this was making him feel a strange sort of...happiness. He had always thought that showing how you felt for people was a weakness, that someone could use your feelings against you to manipulate you or to hurt you. And while that was true, it was also harmful to block yourself off from people. He didn’t understand his mind. One moment he would be thinking of distancing himself, the next he wanted to bury himself in the arms of his team and never leave. He didn’t understand why he was so uncertain in himself but he didn’t want to argue with it. He was too comfortable, and felt too happy to mess with it.

“You are far too skinny to hug properly,” Jax chuckled, and Rip could feel his grin against the skin of his neck. He couldn’t stop the shiver that ran through him but whether it was from the cold or from how close he was to the younger man, he didn’t know. But the cheetahs strange outlook on this made him laugh along with him. “Ha, I got a laugh. I win.”

“Really, Jefferson?” Carters voice came from behind Carter, humour filling his voice despite his words. He didn’t want to let on that he was actually glad that the young man was here. He was the one that was making the serious man laugh and relax with them. He has yet to see the man truly laugh, and truly smile. He knew why it was like that but it hurt him anyway. Rip was an incredible person but his fear, doubt and pain from losing his family had turned him into a mere reflection of what he could really be like. He wondered briefly if the man has ever had the chance to truly be himself and he doubted it. From what he has learned of the Time Masters, he doubted that Rip even knew who he really was. He made a note to bring this up to the others later. They would help him through this. His attention turned back to the trio that still had not seperated.

“What? It’s true,” Jax huffed a laugh again. He pulled away from the group and Rip pulled back from Kendra. “But I’m serious. You are too skinny. When was the last time you ate, dude?”

Rip actually had to think about the answer. “Yesterday morning, I think,”

“What? Why haven’t you eaten since then? You have had a lot of chances to do so?” Carter’s voice was filled with disapproval. He had felt the other two tense when he had admitted it and he had a feeling that they had something to say about his eating habits or rather lack of.

If he had known that they were going to get this upset, he would not have said anything. He didn’t like when people worried about him like this. He knew how to take care of himself, even if some people don’t think so. He makes sure to eat enough to keep himself going. “I don’t know. I just forgot,”

Carter’s eye narrowed at him and Rip had a feeling that the hawk did not believe him. “How can you forget something as vital as eating. It’s almost like forgetting to sleep,”

Which was something he has forgotten to do before. He tried to avoid Carter’s eyes and he knew that he looked guilty. Like eating, he made sure to sleep enough to keep himself from collapsing but most times he would go days without sleeping. He had to when he had so much on the line. They must understand that.

“Please tell me you have not forgotten to sleep recently?” Kendra crossed her arms and stared him down. She could be quite intimidating when she wanted to be.

“Well...” He drawls but he knew that he was caught. It wasn’t his fault though. He just so busy with other stuff that it just slips his mind. It’s not like he purposely tries to avoid sleeping or eating all the time. If he did, he knew that Gideon would be on his ass until he did what he was supposed to. Which she has tried to do before but that was back when she didn’t mean much to him. He he could easily order her to leave him alone. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to do that now.

“Rip!” The looks that he got from the trio made him feel guilty. Kendra looked really worried about him. It was kind of sweet actually, to see how worried she was. “You need to take care of yourself. You keep saying that we need to be at our very best but that includes you as well.”

“I know, I know. Gideon says the same thing but I just...forget when I get busy,”

It seems that his excuses were not fooling them. Jax looked a bit confused and asked a question he had hoped they would avoid. “Why doesn’t Gideon remind you when you need to eat and sleep?”

“I have tried but the Captain doesn’t do anything he doesn’t wish to. He’s very stubborn,” Gideon spoke up, and Rip wanted nothing more than to bury himself away to never be seen again. Of course Gideon would turn against him for this. He knew that she had not forgiven him when he had ordered her to stop reminding him. But it had been getting rather bothersome when she reminded every day that he had to eat and sleep. He is used to not eating and sleeping. You have to when you grow up on the streets. Even though he had access to food and time to sleep, his mind is still in the mode of where he needed to ration everything. He would take a guess that it bothered Gideon a little if her attempts to make him eat more, sleep more and just take more. 

“Rip,” His name was said with a sigh and he had a feeling that the others were not all too surprised with this. Kendra actually looked like someone had really disappointed her and he knew that they would never let this go.

They might not let it go but he knew he could lesson how much they tried to push it on him. “Look, it’s not that I do it on purpose,”

“I highly doubt that. The way you are acting now, I’d say you do it on purpose more often than you like to think.” Carter was turning out to be the one person that he never wanted to go against. The man noticed a lot more than Rip had first given him credit for and he had no problem putting people in their places if need be.

“Okay, fine. I may skip a few meals and a nights sleep every so often but I’m used to it. It’s nothing that I haven’t gone without before,” He knew once the words came out of his mouth that he would never hear the end of it.

“That doesn’t mean you need to starve yourself now that you have an endless supply of food. And while it has been busy lately, you still need to find time to sleep.” The look on both Kendra and Carter’s faces were bordering on scary. If anyone would have the power to pressure him into eating and sleeping, it would be these two.

“Why don’t we go get some food right now?” Jax jumped up from the couch and grabbed Rip’s hand to pull him up alongside him. He didn’t know how to react so he was pulled halfway across the room before he gained control over himself again.

“Wait,” He said, but he wasn’t heard by the cheetah. He pulled on the young man’s hand, forcing them both to a stop. “Jax, I really appreciate your concern but I have stuff that I need to do right now. The ship was damaged during the fight and I need to fix it if we are going to jump anywhere safely. I promise I will eat later,”

“Which you will probably ‘forget’ to do,” Jax was starting to look angry and Rip didn’t know how to make it better. He wasn’t aware that this was such a big deal to them. It wasn’t for him and yet he knew that if he pushed this any further, he might make them even more upset with him. And he wasn’t feeling up to fighting with them right now. He would just have to think of an excuse so that he could slip away. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. Gideon to the rescue once again. She must have realized how stressed he and the others were getting.

“Sir, there is a situation in the med bay that requires your attention.”

“I should see to that,” He resumed his captain attitude and straightened up. He saw the looks on the trios faces and he knew that this was not the end of this conversation. He knew that they would catch up to him later to talk to him about it. He just hoped that it would be much later.

“Try to eat something today,” Kendra pleaded with him, her voice soft. He felt bad that he was making them worry but he couldn’t deal with all the emotions right now.

“I will.” With that, he left them and made his way towards the med bay. He didn’t know exactly what was going on that required his attention but Gideon had sounded urgent. Not necessarily worried like something bad had happened, but rather like something had happened that was unexpected and he needed to know about it. It could be a variety of things and with this team, it really could be anything. “Gideon, what is going on in the med bay?”

She paused, so unlike her and he knew then that something had happened and Gideon was purposely trying to delay telling him. “Gideon...”

“It seems like Mr. Rory is attempting to use the equipment to heal Mr. Snart of his injuries,”

He was not expecting that, and he stumbled a little when it set in. Mick was in the med bay trying to heal Leonard’s injuries? Where did he get the injuries? How did Mick get out of his cell? And why was he trying to heal the leopard instead of trying to escape? So many questions ran through his mind but he didn’t have the time to think about them. He needed to get to the med bay right now.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip and Mick have a talk and it goes in a direction he couldn't have thought of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another chapter for you guys. I have two things to announce. The first is that you guys will get another chapter on Tuesday because I have been writing like crazy this week and have completed two whole chapters. The next two chapters after this are not action ones. They're just of Rip connecting with his team some more.
> 
> I don't know if I have said this already but chapter 38 is where you guys will learn about everything connected to Rips Kitsune side. Everything to why he has nine tails, to why Savage and the Time Masters want him so badly. It even explains why his fox side is so bloodthirsty and mean. I also have a surprise for you guys in chapter 37. It's something that I have never ever written before so I pray I did a good job. I won't say what it is yet so you guys are going to have to tune in probably another 2-3 weeks for it.
> 
> Thank you so much and enjoy.

Rip ran through the halls, dozens of scenario’s running through his mind and none of them were good. The main one was that Leonard was seriously injured and Mick was holding him hostage. He could be healing him up just to torture him again but it didn’t feel right. Gideon had not sounded all that worried with what was currently going on so there still could be some hope, right? It didn’t matter. He needed to find out exactly what was going on and find a way to resolve whatever problems that may be going on.

Pausing outside the doors, he readied himself in case things got violent. He knew that he would never be able to beat Mick normally, so he would have to be ready to use his power. He let go of his control, letting it simmer just below the surface. He needed to be ready to use it if he needed to. He hated the thought that he might actually have to fight Mick. When he used his power he didn’t care who he hurt as long as he won. Take now for example. The release of power had somehow also rid him of his nervousness, and his fear. He felt like he could take on anything and win. He knew he had to be careful with how much power he allowed out. He could not allow himself to get over confident, or allow himself to use too much power or someone could get seriously injured. He didn’t want to hurt Mick. He just wanted to protect this team.

Straitening up, he opened the doors and stepped inside the room. His eyes immediately scanned the room for threats and dangers. He saw nothing but what he had expected. Leonard was lying on the far med bay chair, hook up to the medical bracelet. He was conscious but barely. His face was covered in bruises and cuts but from what he could tell at this distance was that they were not serious. Though who knows what kind of injuries the man had under his clothes. He wanted to rush to the mans side to help but there was already someone there. His eyes then went to Mick Rory.

He was standing next to the bed, opposite of himself and as fiddling around with one of the screens with a look of frustration on his face. He was only wearing his Chronos under armour and still looked dangerous. He reached out with his mind to sense the emotions around him and found nothing other that mild irritation and a strange glimmer of hope from the leopard. Maybe the two of them had managed to work things out and Mick was back to being himself again. It was something he hoped for, but knew that he shouldn’t expect it. He needed to be prepared just in case he was wrong.

His entrance was far from silent and it only took Mick a moment to realize he was there. He didn’t look at the fox with the hatred he had before, but rather just frustration. He waved his hands at the screens in front of him. “Hunter, good, you’re here. You can work this damn thing.”

Rip didn’t want to get too close to the man just in case it was a trap but he couldn’t allow Leonard to remain in pain for much longer. He approached the pair slowly, never taking his eyes off of the dragon. Who was now holding out the small tablet to him. Rip eyed him for a moment longer before reaching out and taking it. He quickly scanned the data in front of him before deciding that his earlier assumption had been correct. The thief was not too badly injured but he would still need time to heal. Normally, he would have just used the technology on the Waverider to heal him of his wounds but too much exposure to the regeneration system could be detrimental to the long term health problems of an individual. And Leonard already had his fair share when they had to regenerate his hand a few days ago. So unfortunately, the leopard would have to heal the hard way.

That didn’t mean that the man couldn’t get some rest. The man had not even seemed to have realized that he was there. He was struggling with keeping his eyes open and a soft rumble let Rip know that he was trying to speak. He needed to rest but the man was stubborn. He knew that the man would not willingly get some sleep. He would have to do it his way then and administered a painkiller and a sedative. He could tell exactly when it kicked in for the man’s body relaxed and he let out a soft sigh.

He looked up at Mick to see him looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He seemed strangely amused by his actions.

“Did you just drug my partner?”

The way the dragon said it, made Rip believe that he actually cared about the man lying in front of him. He didn’t seem like the same man he had talked to just the other day. He did not know what had happened between the two but something must have done something to whatever had been going on inside his head. He needed to know what Mick was thinking right now so that he would know how to act in this situation. But he also knew that he needed to be careful how he worded his questions. One wrong word might set him off and he was just getting the idea that maybe Mick was not quite himself yet. “I wasn’t aware that he was your partner any longer. Because you have expressed the desire to kill him on multiple occasions.”

A look came over his face and he turned away from Rip to look down at Leonard. The look on his face was pained and Rip wondered if he once again said the wrong thing. He mentally cursed himself for once again saying the wrong thing to the man. He really needed to get better control over himself. But before he could question himself further, Mick shook his head.

“Things are different now,” His face scrunched up like he was having a hard time figuring out what to say. He knew that Mick was not the best with words but it seemed that he was actually taking his time to think over his words. He wondered if it was something that the Time Masters put into his head or if it was actually Mick who has just been changed by this whole experience. “I know that Lenny was hurt when I...left but things will be better now that I’m back. I’m not going to hurt him anymore.”

“So, you’re not going to try and kill us again?” Rip questioned him, unsure of his intentions yet. He may say that he wants to help his partner but he knew better than to take this man on his word. He wanted to, he really did but his paranoia would not allow him to forgive him so soon. He didn’t want to sound harsh but he didn’t know how else to say it. “Because I don’t trust you right now. You may say that you mean no harm, but how do I know that? How do I know that you won’t turn on us the moment our backs are turned?”

“You don’t trust me?” Mick did not seem all that surprised at his confession. He nodded and Rip could see the hurt in his face. He tried to hide it but Rip could see right through him. “I suppose that’s understandable but let me ask a question. Are you afraid of me?”

That was not what he had been expecting the man to ask. He took a minute to think about it but he knew the answer. He wasn’t afraid of Mick, per se, more of the fact that he knew he had the power to take him down but fearing that his feelings might get in the way of him doing so. He...cared for Mick, despite their differences and despite the fact that Mick might not feel the same way. He didn’t want to hurt Mick but he also didn’t want to lose the rest of the team if he allowed himself to become distracted by his feelings. “No. I know that I can take you down if I must,”

“Oh, really?” Mick took a step towards him and Rip couldn’t stop himself from reacting. 

His power flared up, slight changes taking place at the threat. Deep down, he knew that Mick wasn’t going to try and hurt him but the very idea that he was being threatened was forcing his power out. He could feel his teeth elongating and hoped that would be the only physical change right now. His magic, gold and powerful, started to fill the room and he had to try not to be distracted by how pretty it was. He wanted to have a nice, _calm_ talk with the man and showing him the other part of him would guarantee that would not happen. He pulled his power back slightly but didn’t back down yet.

Micks eyes narrowed at the rise of his power and he backed down. He didn’t seem all that surprised at his power as he had been before nor did he even seem bothered much by his show. He snorted in amusement and threw himself down in the chair next to Leonard.

“There’s no need to do that. I’m not going to hurt anyone on this ship. I have no need to.”

Only then did Rip noticed just how tired Mick looked. His entire body language screamed exhaustion and he felt bad that he had come in here without thinking of what Mick had to have gone through. He had come in and accused Mick of wanting to hurt this team without any proof. He relaxed, pushing his power back down. There was never any threat and he had jumped to his own conclusions once again. Mick had to have gone through hell with the Time Masters. He needed to have a bit more faith in the fact that maybe Mick was really back.

“My apologies, Mr. Rory. I may have jumped to conclusions.”

“Ya think?” Mick rolled his eyes but even that seemed half hearted. He turned his gaze to his sleeping partner. “I suppose that I have not exactly given you a reason to trust me.”

That was a bit strange. Mick was taking responsibility for what he has done. Or at least, taking responsibility in the usual Mick Rory fashion. “Well, yeah but I think I was more afraid of the fact that we, or rather I, know what the Time Masters are capable of. You might believe that you are no longer under their influence but there is a possibility that you still might be.”

“Ah, I see,” was all he got from the man. He was still looking at Leonard like he was lost, like he had no idea what to do and it hurt him to see this man like that. He had been so powerful, so strong and he has been reduced to this. He hated what the Time Masters had done to him and would make them pay for everything that they have done to him, his family and his team. He would make them suffer for what they have done.

For now, he needed to make up for what he has done to the man. “Look, Mick, I know that you hate me but-”

“I don’t hate you,” Mick spoke up, but never did he take his eyes away from the sleeping leopard. “I may not like you all that much but I don’t hate you. Being with the Time Masters have given me...perspective. I know what they are capable of and have only seen a small part of their...society. You must have gone through worse since you have been with them for a while,”

It wasn’t all bad, like Mick was saying. He got to got to places and see things that he would never have been able to do or see if he had remained on the streets. They had given him a purpose and it wasn’t until he had grown up that he could see what they were doing. He had pushed it all to the back of his mind because he didn’t want to think about it. He life had been good, he had a family and a job that he loved. He didn’t want to go back to the old life that he had before they came to him. He didn’t know if he would be able to survive emotionally if they had abandoned him after all that he had built up. At least, that was what he had thought but then he had lost all those things and here he was, surviving despite the odds. The Time Masters have given him a lot but they have also taken a lot of things away from him. He had enjoyed his time working for them when he didn’t know what they had been up to. Sure, there were times he had messed up and had taken the punishment for it, but he had made it through. And he had wanted to believe that those punishments were helping him be a better Time Master but he has since seen the truth. They have been using him and it was only a matter of time before they got what was coming to them.

Though, this right now was not about him. It was about Mick and how to make him better. He may be back to his old self, even if only partially, he was still hurting and he needed to help him. Mick may not like the fact that he was going to get “mushy” as he would say it but Mick needed to hear it. And he needed the proof that Mick was not going to hurt anyone else on this team.

“Okay, so you don’t hate me. But how do you still believe that me, or anyone else, will trust you to come back to this team?”

Mick finally looked away from his partner to gaze at him. He sat up in his chair, back straight and eyes hard. “I don’t care what they think. I’m coming back and I am ending both Savage and the Time Masters,”

That reaction was unexpected. He was angry and it almost made him tense again until he realized that his anger wasn’t directed at him. Rather, it was directed on their enemies. Which didn’t make sense to him. The Time Master part, sure, he understood but why was he so invested in killing Savage as well? “Okay, look. I understand why you hate the Time Masters because of what they did to you but why are you still willing to help with Savage after...after what I said to you. Which, by the way, I am immensely sorry about,” He knew that he had already apologized but that was when Mick wasn’t exactly Mick. Now he had the chance to truly apologize to the man.

Except it seemed like Mick wasn’t really interested in his apology. He huffed a laugh and waved his hand. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes studying the man in front of him. “Yeah, yeah, I know English. You were stressed and you lashed out. It happens to all of us.”

This conversation was not going as he had thought. He had thought that Mick and him would have a talk about what happened with the Time Masters and what to do next then they would go their own ways. Maybe have a talk about what happened with them. Not do...whatever this is. “And you...what? Forgive me?”

“Never anything to forgive.” Mick snorted at the look on his face, confusion mixed with disbelief. “Do you honestly think that me and Lenny always got along? That we were the perfect couple?”

“Well...” He didn’t want to admit that he hadn’t really thought about their relationship in much detail so he hadn’t really thought about that particular point.

“Let me tell you. We weren’t. We fought just as often as we fucked and let me tell you, we did that quite often.” Mick winked at him and Rip’s face immediately went red. He was not used to Mick talking like this. He had not thought about Mick and Leonard’s romantic lives but this was a bit much. He tried to look anywhere but Mick but the man seemed to have moved on. “The fight that we had in the past were far worse than the one we had. What we had couldn’t even be called a fight. It was more of a lovers quarrel, one of those ones where we are angry with each other but always come back.”

“Umm...what?” He had no idea what Mick was talking about. Was he talking about him and Leonard or him and Rip? Either option was a bit...odd to be saying to him. Mick has never been a feelings kind of person and yet here he was, sharing with someone he didn’t like very much. It was a bit strange, if Rip was honest but he wasn’t going to stop the man. “Okay, so if we are past the whole...trying to kill each other, what do you think we should do next?”

Mick raised an eyebrow at him. “You are honestly asking me what to do next? Wow, I thought the day that you came to me for advice would never come,”

Rip sighed. There was the old Mick. The sassy, take no shit from anybody kind of guy. Rip didn’t want to admit it, but he kind of missed that Mick. The one that didn’t allow him to get away with all of the stupid shit he did, like getting so full of himself that he forgot that there were other people that depended on him. Like now for instance, he should be thinking of what their next move would be. 

“Let’s just say, that I am...unsure of what to do next,” He figured that Mick has shared something of himself with him, that he should do the same. “I am lost with how to act and react with everything that is going on. I know that Savage is at the top of my list but the Time Masters are becoming more active in their attempts to arrest me. I am unsure which path to follow first. The Time Masters or the one person I have been fighting against this whole time?”

Mick nodded. “Makes sense. Which one do you think is the most likely to do something first?”

“I...I don’t know.” He shrugged helplessly. He had no idea what to do. Now that he was thinking about it, he realized just how much was messed up at the moment. His mind was racing and he needed to calm down. He needed to think rationally. “I mean, Savage has no way of finding us throughout time, but the longer we wait to do something, the more likely the event of my family’s deaths will set in history. But the Time Masters, they have technology that can track me throughout time with a bit of, well time. They will notice rather quickly that something has happened with you. But I don’t think they want me dead. At least, not at first. Both are dangerous and both need to be dealt with but which one?”

Mick hummed. It looked like he was actually thinking about this whole situation so Rip remained silent while he thought. He had no idea what to do and Mick was probably had more experience dealing with strategic choices of targets, given his experience as Chronos. He watched as Mick stretched as he thought. He must have been feeling more like himself for he was now allowing his dragon traits to show.

Rip watched in awe as the crimson red scales appear across the mans skin, crawling up his arms, shoulders, neck, eventually ending on his cheekbones. The scales were bigger and thicker on his arms and chest, giving him the appearance of light armour. The clothes that Mick wore tore in some places for it was unable to accommodate the changes. He would have to make sure the man changed before they met with the rest of the team. His wings stretched out behind him, and he guessed that he had about an impressive twenty two foot wingspan. The wing webbing was a shade lighter than the scales surrounding it. His tail was only about six feet long but it was made of thick muscles and covered in razor sharp spines. He noticed all the little stuff as well, like how his now glowing orange eyes were surrounded in tiny scales lighter than the rest, how those scales edged along his jaw and down his neck. Under the lights of the med bay, his scales glittered like jewels. Though he wasn’t sure he wanted to share that thought with the other man. The room around him heated up by a few degrees just by letting his inner dragon out. It was incredible, mesmerizing. 

He had not realized that he had been staring until he heard the man cough. He blinked and looked at the mans face to see that Mick was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

“Uhh,” He could feel himself flush once again. He averted in eyes by looking down at the tablet he still held in his hands. He fiddled with it for a moment. He could feel Micks gaze on him and he _really_ didn’t want to know what he was thinking. “So, uhh, what do you think we should do with this whole mess?”

Mick chuckled but he accepted Rips topic change. “Well, the Savage problem is obviously the one we need to focus on but you are right. The Time Masters are very intent on capturing you but they are the kind of people that like to form plans. Never ones to jump into something without figuring out a way that they will win. With me gone, there are a few people they could send after us. I suggest waiting.”

Rip blinked. “Waiting?”

Mick nodded again as if it made perfect sense to him. “They will probably send one group after this team, then give it a rest to form a new plan when it doesn’t work. We should hide out for a few days for it to cool down. After that, continue on with killing Savage.”

It made sense. He knew that the Time Masters are playing the long game. They wanted him back, alive. Maybe not unhurt but the way they were being careful makes Rip think that they would not want to risk him. Meaning that he would have more time to deal with them. They could wait. Savage could not.

“Okay then. There are places where we can hide and form a plan. We should gather the others,” He had a feeling that he should ask about what he wanted the others to know about but he was sure that Mick would tell them when the time came.

Mick grumbled unhappily. “That is not going to be fun to deal with,”

Rip could see the pout on the man’s face and had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from smiling. Who knew that a big, tough mighty dragon would have the ability to pout? “I’ll handle them. You just make sure that you partner gets his rest. Should take a few hours for him to wake up. In the mean time, I will make sure that the others are informed of what’s going on. Is there anything that you would like me to tell them?”

“Just to not try and kill me. I would prefer not to be attacked the moment they see me.”

He nodded. He knew that he could not stop the others from being angry with the man but he could try to lessen their homicidal feelings until they sort things out. “Alright. On that note, I will lock down the med bay until your partner wakes up. Unless there is a medical emergency, no one will be allowed in but me.”

The dragon frowned, a slight glare directed at him. “Sounds like your trapping me in here,”

“No. I said that nobody will be able to come in. You will still be able to leave if you wish but I was unaware that you would want to leave. I mean, you said you wanted to stay and if you run into one of the team without them knowing what is going on, who knows what could happen.” He hoped that he didn’t sound demanding but he really hoped that the man would stay here. He didn’t want to deal with the aftermath if one of the others catches him.

“Okay, okay. I get it. I’ll stay here.” Mick relaxed in his chair and waved him away. “I’ll make sure Frosty Freeze here doesn’t do anything stupid. We’ll join you when he wakes up.”

Rip chuckled at the nickname but nodded and stood up from his chair. “I’ll get everyone caught up. When Leonard wakes up, you two can join us. I’m sure the rest will be calm by the time you guys show up,”

Mick huffed a laugh. “Oh, I doubt that but we will see how it goes.”

“Yes we will,”


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip fills in the team on what happens, while trying to keep them all calm.

“He did what?”

Rip was trapped in a situation that he really didn’t want to be in and he saw no way out. He really wished that he had planned this out better. They were all gathered in the bridge two hours after his talk with Mick. He wanted to calm his mind so that he could explain clearly to the team what had happened between him and Mick. He had filled his time with fixing the major problems on the ship. He was actually surprised that no one came looking for him. After he had finished the biggest issues, he had called them all to the bridge. Rip was trying to explain to them what had happened between him and Mick but he could barely get past the part where Mick beat up Leonard and was currently out of his cell. He had been trying to explain what was going for the past fifteen minutes but this team was a lot angrier than he had imagined they would be. He could understand their anger but there was something more important going on right now. They needed to figure out what their next step was before they were jumped again.

He held up his hands in a placating manner. “Look, can we focus on something more important right now? Leonard will recover and Mick is back to being himself. We need to plan what our next move is. Now, here’s what I-”

“More important?” Sara stormed up to him, her face and emotions displaying just how unhappy she was with his words. Her wings were held out and up, towering over her. The feathers in her hair had stood up on end but he couldn’t appreciate the view for Sara was allowing her anger to fill the air. It was kind of hard to ignore. “There is nothing more important than this team. If you hurt one of us, you deal with all of us,”

“I understand that but-”

“Obviously you don’t!” Rip flinched slightly when she grabbed his jacket and pushed him against the wall. He had to bite his tongue in order to stop himself from crying out as the pain in his shoulder sky rocketed. The pain had been dulled, barely noticeable in the recent day or so. He had had a lot of things on his mind so he was able to push that pain to the back of his mind. He had almost forgotten that he was even injured. Now he knew he wouldn’t be able to forget for a while. He could feel bruises forming on his back from how rough Sara was being. He calmed himself so that he wouldn’t show any of the pain he was currently feeling. “I am glad that Mick is better but we can not let it go unpunished that he hurt one of us. He needs to know that we will not allow him to hurt any of us anymore,”

“He knows that. He was not quite himself when he fought Leonard. The things he did-” And again, he was interrupted. He had no idea why he tried.

“I should kill him for the things he did. You said that the Time Masters had filled him with a lot of negative emotions but you also said that there was some positive ones left as well.” Sara didn’t release him but her grip relaxed. “While I don’t know anything about the Time Masters, other than the fact that they are dicks, I do know that if Mick still had those positive emotions, he wouldn’t have hurt his Bond mate. No matter his state of mind.”

“Ex- Bond Mate,” Jax muttered from across the room.

They both ignored him.

“Those positive emotions were what helped Mick heal. If not, he probably would have killed Leonard, not beat him up.” Rip gently grabbed her wrists, knowing that the only way he could make her understand was to explain the situation completely. While some of what has happened was not his story to tell, this team deserved to know. Mick was their friend too. “Anyway, it was Leonard who opened the cell and challenged him to a fight. We might not have Mick back to the way he was if it wasn’t for him,”

Sara studied his face, trying to detect the lie that she was sure he was telling. It didn’t appear as if she found any because she let him go and stepped back. “So you say that Mick is back to being Mick?”

“Yes. While I am not sure if he is completely healed, he is no longer Chronos. He is of no immediate threat to us,” Rip looked over everyone and was glad to see that they have calmed down. He rolled his shoulders as the pain subsided a little. It felt like Sara had just punched him really hard in the shoulder. “But that brings up a lot of problems.”

“Like the Time Masters?” Martin was standing in the back of the group and was the only one that had not gotten angry when he had told them what happened. Probably because he was the only one who must have known that there was more to the story. “I would take a guess that they will not be happy that they lost their attack dog,”

“They won’t be. They will probably send some more people after us, which is why I have a plan.” He moved over to the console and pulled up a screen. “There are a few spots in time where one can hide from the prying eyes of the Time Council. They are called time fragmentation's. The Time Masters can’t’ use their technology to see into these periods of time. We’ll hide out there until we are all back to our full strength,”

“So we’re...what? Hiding?” Sara looked offended at that. She has probably never had to do that, run away when all she wanted was to fight.

“In a way, yes. You have to know that this team is on the mend right now. We are in no shape to take on anyone at this point. It’s best to lay low for now.” Rip could tell that many of them had more questions but he held up his hand to stop them. “Look, I know that you guys have many questions but you are going to have to trust me,”

“I’m sorry Rip but I’m having a hard time believing that.” Sara did not seem to want to let it go. Rip could understand her frustration. They had been fighting Chronos since the beginning only to find out that it was one of people that she had connected with since the start. They were probably still wondering how it worked. Even if he explained it, they wouldn’t understand. And then everything that has happened since then must have been hard for her. He couldn’t even begin to try an understand what she was feeling so he did the best he could.

“I know. When Leonard wakes up, you can talk to him and get his side of the story if you don’t trust me or Mick on this,”

“That’s not what I meant,” Sara sighed and shook her head. The feathers along the bones of her wings were standing up, almost like the hackles of a cat. He could tell that she was not happy and he had no idea how to change that. “I just meant that you can’t just tell us about Mick and nothing else. We are supposed to be a team and yet you don’t talk to us. This situation concerns all of us and I think we deserve to know. You can’t pull back now.”

“I really hate to but in,” Martin raised his hand slightly, and looked slightly guilty. His rabbit ears were twitching uncomfortably and it made Rip realize that everyone was looking the same. “but I have to agree with Ms. Lance. You can have your secrets but this does not fall under that category. I mean, we already know about it, albeit with vague details, so unless you have something you hide, you should be able to tell us,”

It was one thing to have Sara get mad at him, but to have Martin look at him so upset was starting to make him feel guilty for not telling them the whole truth. And he was right. It wasn’t really a secret but he didn’t want to go spouting information that Mick didn’t want them to have. He didn’t exactly want to make Mick mad at him just when he had gotten him back. Though Mick had said that he was staying. Plus, he has been told by several members of this team that Mick doesn’t take offence very often because he was used to it. That thought made him frown because while that may be true, he also knew that there was only so much a man can take. Even a man like Mick.

“I’m sorry. You’re right Martin. I should tell you the truth and I think Mick would prefer someone else to tell you guys.”

“And if he gets mad at you, we’ll defend you,” Jax said with confident smile. He had puffed out his chest in a strange alpha like manner.

“Thanks, Jax but I’m not some maiden that needs rescuing. I can handle Mick.” Rip sighed and leaned against the wall. “Well, the first thing you guys should know was that Mick did not leave willingly,”

“What are you talking about? We were there. We saw Mick leave by his own choices,” Martin was frowning. Actually, all of them were frowning. Some were confused and he could tell that some were even doubting his words.

“While it did appear that Mick left on his own, even I had believed that as well, but I had thought about it a little and it makes more sense that he had been pressured into it.” He paused to judge the reactions of the team. Some were still having a hard time believing him, which was understandable. “While Mick may not have been the most agreeable person on this team, he was still a member of this...crazy family that we seemed to have made here. There would be no reason for him to have betrayed us, despite my cruel words,”

“Your words?” Kendra asked.

He had been sure that Jax would have told them what had transpired in the brig of the other time ship. He didn’t want to admit that he had been cruel to a member of this team but they deserved the truth. “I...had been angry and stressed and I had taken my anger out on Mick when we were thrown in the brig by the pirates. I said some very cruel things to him that I wish I could take back but Mick has since said that he doesn’t blame me. It doesn’t really make me feel better but it does make my theory more plausible,”

“And your theory is?” Carter had remained silent this entire time. He had not made any accusations, nor had he seemed to make any judgments. Rip was sure that he was waiting for the entire story before he made any kind of decision much like Martin. He was always the logical one out of the rest and right now, Rip was glad for it.

He knew that he needed to word the next part carefully. It would cause some bad reactions among them and he needed them to be focused right now. “That the person who took Mick away had threatened Leonard. He must have held his partners life over him and gave him a choice to leave willingly.”

“Is that why he broke his Bond with Len?” Sara asked, her brow furrowed into a deep frown.

It seemed like the others were catching onto what he was trying to say. “I believe so. I think that he had no choice. That the Time Master that had snuck past all the pirates had made him do it. Then they used all the negative emotions from that to forge him into Chronos.”

The room was silent as they all processed what he had told them. They didn’t seem to be angry anymore. Instead, they all looked rather upset. He couldn’t imagine what some of them must be thinking right now. They were all rather protective of each other and for someone to do that to one of their own, was unforgiveable.

“Why?”

Rip turned to look at Kendra who was looking a bit sick. He didn’t blame her. He was sure he was going to be sick when he had first figured it out as well. “They were trying to make him into a weapon and they figured the best way to do that was to destroy him first.”

Kendra shook her head. “No, no I get that part. What I don’t get is why Mick? I mean, they are after you so why take Mick instead?”

She brought up a good question, one he has been thinking about since Mick left. A question that ran around and around his mind without ever being solved. He didn’t have an answer for it and that really bothered him. He hated not knowing stuff and when that stuff includes his team, it made him nervous. Why that Time Master had taken Mick was one of the biggest questions on his mind and it would be the first thing he asked when he confronted them. He had a strange feeling that it had something to do with why Savage was so intent on him. It was strange to him why so many people would be interested in him almost at the same time. Yes, his species was rare and powerful but he was sure that he was not the only one throughout time, nor is he even the strongest Mythical type. So why are all these people targeting him? He just didn’t know and if he was to be honest, it scared him.

“I don’t know. I wish I knew but I just can’t think of a reason for them to do so,” Which was a partial truth. He knew that it had something to do with what he was but the team didn’t _need_ to know that particular detail.

“That’s worrying,” Martin mumbled and Rip couldn’t agree with him more.

“I know but the most that we can do right now is heal, both physically and mentally.” Rip held up a hand as Sara started to protest. “I know that you may not think that we need to do that but you will just have to trust me on this. Please Sara?”

Sara studied him for a moment but he could tell that she would agree with him. She must know how this was necessary for this team. 

“Okay, Rip. We’ll go to this hiding spot but we can’t stay long. When Leonard wakes up, we can figure out exactly what the plan is. We need to sort out this mess so that we all can breathe easier.”

“You won’t have to wait long,”

Rip turned to frown at the pair that had just entered the room. He winced as the room filled with the teams random emotions. Since he has started allowing himself to use his abilities, he was having a hard time filtering out their strong emotions. He did not know which one he preferred. Not using his abilities and being unable to feel the emotions of others, allowing him to focus on important stuff. Or using his abilities and feel the emotions of the people around him at the cost of being distracted. Though it wasn’t like he could feel emotions all the time. Only when people were feeling extreme emotions, otherwise he had to concentrate to feel them.

It didn’t matter much right now. He pushed the others emotions to the back of his mind. He knew that there was going to be different feelings among the team. Most of them were feeling uneasy but none of them were feeling scared or threatened. He figured it was a good start.

Mick was supporting the leopard a bit as they walked towards the center of the room. He was walking on his own but was leaning on Mick for support. He helped him sit off to the side. Rip really wished that the man had taken a few more hours of rest because he still looked like crap. His face was covered in bruises and he was sure that his clothes hid even more of them. Once Leonard was settled, Mick moved back over to the head of the group, almost right next to Rip.

“I’m sure that Hunter has told you everything,” Mick sounded unaffected by everything but Rip could tell that he was tense. What the others thought of him was not something one would believe would affect him but Mick had been close with the others before he left. It meant something to him now. He must be feeling more like himself.

“Yeah, after we had to pry it out of him,” Sara was still frowning but it had lessened a lot. She actually seemed to have calmed down now that the both of them had joined them.

Mick turned to him with a raised eyebrow. All he could do was shrug.

He shrugged. “I didn’t know what you wanted them to know. I didn’t want to them them something that you didn’t want shared.”

Mick snorted but turned back to the others. “I had made a decision based on my need to protect Lenny. With that choice, many of you have been hurt and I...”

It seemed like Mick was having a hard time actually apologizing to them and it seemed like everyone could tell. It was Ray that stepped forward with a shy grin. “It’s okay, Mick. We don’t blame you. Rip had told us why you left and we don’t blame you at all for leaving.”

Mick stared at the wolf, and Rip could feel the man’s mind reaching out to feel the air around him. Apparently, Mick didn’t think that the others would forgive him so easily. After a few moments, the dragon nodded. He straightened up and crossed his arms. “Right, thanks I guess. Anyway, I’m sure that Hunter has told you of his plan,”

“His plan of hiding? Yeah, he told us and some of us don’t agree with it,” Sara was now mimicking Mick, back straight and arms crossed. Her wings were held up a little once again, defensive and mildly aggressive.

“It’s not just to hide.” Mick shook his head and grumbled a little. “The Time Masters will not be happy that I am no longer with them so they will most likely send some units after us. If we hide somewhere out of the way, we will be able to both recover and potentially deal with whatever they send after us,”

“So we _are_ expecting a fight?” Carter frowned at that and Rip could see that his entire body was tense. It was good to know that he wasn’t the only one worried about this.

“Yes, though who they will send, I am unsure of. It could be a number of people, but my gut says that they will send the Hunters.”

“The Hunters?”

He took over from Mick. He knew about who he was talking about and he could feel his heart sinking at that thought. “Three people that have been trained mainly to kill but that is only for extreme measures. Each one of they is of a mythical type and are extremely strong. While...Chronos was created to capture people, these people will rarely let their targets live,”

“So they’re like assassins?” Sara actually seemed intrigued.

“Yes, in a milder sense. They also don’t have to follow the same rules that Time Masters do. They have no limits and are allowed to do whatever they must to complete their mission.” Rip was not liking the outlook of this. If they really did send the Hunters, he may not be able to hide who he was. He has never met these people but he has heard of their exploits and had been awed by some of the stuff that they have done. He might have to use his power to protect this team from these people. “Let’s just hope that they don’t show up until Leonard has had the chance to heal,”

“Aw, I’m fine captain. Just a few bruises,” His voice was rough but better than it had been back in the med bay. 

“Right,” Rip rolled his eyes but he didn’t argue. They didn’t have the time to argue about this. They needed to get moving before the Time Masters located them. “Are you feeling good enough to jump right now?”

“Yes,”

“No,” 

Leonard and Mick spoke at the same time. Leonard turned to glare at the dragon but all Mick was raise an eyebrow at him. They had a sort of stare down which ended when Leonard rolled his eyes and sighed.

“I may not be in the best of shape but I’ll live through one jump,” The man said stubbornly and Rip had a feeling that he was just saying this to get some kind of reaction out of the dragon.

Rip looked at Mick, expecting him to argue with the leopard but all he did was huff an annoyed breath like he was used to the mans antics.

“Alright then. Strap yourselves in.” He moved over to the captains seat while the others moved around behind him. It was Sara that helped Leonard into a seat and he wondered if he really was up to a jump. His injuries were not life threatening so his life wasn’t in danger if they did have problems with the jump. He might be feeling like crap after the jump but that just meant he would have to get some more rest.

“Where are we going exactly?” Jax was trying to catch a glimpse of the screens to find a hint.

“1800’s.” Rip didn’t go into much more detail than that because he wasn’t sure if he would be able to survive the teasing that he had brought them to the old west. They probably already thought that he had a cowboy fetish, which he most definitely did _not_. He would deny it if anyone asked. This was just the one place he trusted that his team would not be able to cause much trouble. At least, not too much trouble that they caused an aberration in time.

The jump was rather uneventful. He had been right when he thought that Leonard would feel like crap. He heard soft cursing when they dropped out of the time stream and sighed. He manoeuvred the ship to park several miles outside the town. He hoped the distance would deter the team from going sightseeing but he doubted it.

Lifting the safety bar, he climbed to his feet and turned to address the team. “We will stay here for the next couple of days until either the Hunters come for us or until we have all healed.”

“You still haven’t told us when or where exactly we are,” Carter asked, standing and stretching. He seemed to be the one that was the least affected by time travel, aside from himself.

He shuffled on his feet, trying not to show how nervous he was to admit it. He doubted that many of them would even recognize the time period. “Salvation, 1871. I had come here quite a few years ago on a mission. It’s how I know that it is safe. At least, from the prying eyes of the Time Masters,”

Ray whooped, causing everyone to turn their attention to him. He was grinning, and looking around at everyone while practically hopping up and down. “What? Do you guys not know what time period this is? This is so cool!”

“Ray...” Rip sighed, a slight whine to his voice. He was praying that the man would not reveal it but he knew that it didn’t matter. Ray was excited so he was going to tell everyone. He seemed to have that mindset. Or rather, he didn’t have a filter between his brain and mouth.

“It’s the Wild West. Cowboy country!”

Rip really wished he hadn’t said it that. He would never be able to live it down. “That’s not-”

“Oh really?” Sara turned to him with a smirk. Her entire posture screamed _smug_. “Something you want to share with us captain?”

He could feel his face heating up. He didn’t know why he was embarrassed about this. It wasn’t like it was something that he needed to be embarrassed about. Though, the way Sara was eyeing him now, any normal person would get embarrassed. He still couldn’t stop himself from crossing his arms and looking away from the canary. “I have no idea what you are talking about. This was just the best time period for us to hide out. There is no other reason.”

Sara laughed. “Really? Cause we have all noticed your... _thing_ for the wild west. Or at least, your interest in cowboys,”

“My thing?” He sputtered. He couldn’t believe that Sara had just accused him of having a...of having a cowboy fetish. He knew that he should not have mentioned it. This team was starting to be more open with him with their...intimate thoughts and he really wished he was feeling more upset about it than he was right now. “What in the world gave you that idea?”

She sauntered over to him with that smug, satisfaction she gets when she is proven to be right. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the way you dress, or the way you talk about it.”

He walked over to the console, just to avoid that look on her face. “Can we just...get back to the plan? Now, we will stay here and you guys will _not_ cause any trouble,”

“So, basically, we’re hiding out in the Old West in hoping your boogeymen don’t find us here.” Leonard drawled. He seemed to have recovered enough to sass them. It was a good sign at least.

Mick growled. “The Hunters aren’t boogeymen. And you better hope they don’t find us.”

“Well, at least not until I get a chance to ‘punch a few doggies’ or ‘bust a bronco’ or two. Not that I condone to animal cruelty. It’s just I watched a lot of Westerns,”

Everyone’s attentions was once again back on Ray. He was grinning, still hopping on his toes and his tail was going wild behind him. He looked like an excited puppy that was going out for a walk. He pressed his lips together to prevent himself from smiling. If he did, then Sara would see and there would be no end to her teasing.

“What? I just really like the Old West,”

“I guess that makes two of you,” Sara was still grinning and it seemed like it was contagious because everyone seemed to either be smiling or at least amused on their behalf.

“Really, Sara?” He sighed.

“What? It’s just nice to finally get to see exactly how kinky you are,”

“Oh my god, that’s not...why are you like this?” He moaned, embarrassed beyond belief. He needed to get out of here before he died of his embarrassment. “Moving past this whole subject, our next step is to help each other heal. Leonard needs a good nights rest so I suggest that he do that now and everyone else as well.”

“But..but...what about exploring? There must be a nearby town that we can go and experience the way of life? I mean, you can’t think that we have to stay in the ship the whole time,” Ray had stopped bouncing around and was now looking rather sad.

He knew that he would not be able to keep them here but he knew that they could not leave now. At least not until Leonard was feeling better. The leopard would kill him if he made the man sit this out. “You can go tomorrow. Just get some rest for now.”

“Okay, Rip. We’ll let this go for now but know this, I will not stop until I know all of your kinks,” Sara sent him one more smug look before turning to help Leonard up. The leopard tried to act tough but Rip could tell that he was still in pain. He should get Gideon to prescribe him some pain killers.

He sighed but he knew that he would not hear the end of it if he continued to argue with her so he let her leave on that note. He had a feeling that she was just trying to get a rise out of him. What kind of rise was still a bit vague.

He looked around the room at the others that stayed behind. “I meant everyone should get some rest,”

“Which includes you as well. But I think that you need to do something first,” Kendra gave him a look that told him that he was missing something. He searched his mind as to what he could be missing but came up with nothing. He gave her a half shrug. “Really Rip? You made the promise only a few hours ago. You promised us that you would eat something.”

That’s right. He did promise that and apparently, they had not forgotten about it like he had hoped. Though, now that he was thinking about it, he was rather hungry. “Okay. I’ll go get something now,”

“We’ll come with you,” Martin stepped up next to him. Kendra stepped next to him on his other side. He knew then that they would not allow him to get away, not that he was going to try. He felt Kendra loop her arm through his and they made their way towards the kitchen. He wondered if they would stay with him as he ate. Probably but he didn’t mind. He could always use the company.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kendra and Martin make sure Rip eats something and he gets advice from the older man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's another chapter. If I can continue to write the way I have been for the past two weeks, you will probably get a chapter every week for the next month or so. And you are one more chapter closer to learning the truth. So tune in next week for the next chapter, which I am sure will surprise most of you.

He would have been fine with just a sandwich but Martin was having none of it. He offered to actually cook him a meal and no matter how much he told the man he didn’t have to, he insisted. He and Kendra got to making him what he was sure would be the healthiest thing he has ever eaten. Kendra had a habit of trying to get this team to eat healthier. It was kind of funny to see her try and get Mick to stop eating sweets and drinking so much. It didn’t work but she never gave up. Though it did work better with some of the other members of this team.

“So...is there anything that you might want to talk about?”

Rip looked up from where he was studying his mug of tea to see Martin had taken a seat across from him. He had his own cup of tea in front of him and was looking amused. He raised an eyebrow because he had just been cooking with Kendra. He looked over at Kendra who was dancing around the kitchen and humming a song he didn’t recognize. He turned his gaze back to Martin who did nothing but shrug.

“Apparently, I wasn’t making it right.”

“You got kicked out of the way didn’t you?”

“Oh yeah. Clarissa used to do the same thing when I tried to cook.” Martin grinned at him but his face grew more serious as he studied his captain. “Look, I know that I am probably not one you would think you can talk to but if you need someone to talk to, you can come to me,”

“I know that Martin.” Rip didn’t know where the man was going with this conversation. The man must know that he cared for him as much as the others, even if he hasn’t had much one on one time with him. He could actually connect with the man because he is the only one that is married. He felt like Martin was the one that would understand his motivations behind this mission the most. “We just haven’t had any time to actually sit down and talk.”

“We have time now.” He spoke softly, like he was trying not to offend him or something. Not that he could actually say anything that could do so. “And while I am not expecting you to tell me everything, I just want to know if you are alright. Everyone can tell that something’s going on with you but none of them are willing to confront you about it. Well, maybe Carter and Leonard but those two like to pretend they have no emotions.”

“And yet they are the ones that seem to have no problems calling us out when we try to avoid our own feelings,” He shared a grin with the man. He sighed when he realized that maybe he should confide something in the man because he had a feeling that he would be able to help with something he has been thinking about for a while. “Can I ask you for advice, Martin?”

Martin straightened up, like this was the opportunity of a lifetime. “Of course. Like I said, you can come to me with anything,”

“Okay. You guys probably have noticed that something is going on with me. I just...,” He paused. He was unsure about whether or not he should dump all of his worries onto this man. But he had promised to make an effort. So he would just have to hope the man would not judge him too harshly. “What would you do if the people you trusted the most turned their backs on you? And you lost the one thing that has kept you sane for years? If you had no one else you felt safe with, what would you do?”

Martin blinked in surprise at his questions. He looked down at his cup, his brow furrowed as he thought. The questions were quite serious and it made him think that maybe what was going on with his captain was a lot more serious than he had first imagined. The captain may act like he’s in control all the time but Martin could see right through him. He was sure that the others could see it too. His words had been filled with stress and confusion that all Martin wanted to do was to hold the troubled man. He didn’t know how long he could just stand here and watch as his captain, his family fell apart. He had a feeling that if things continued the way they were now, Rip might fall into a place where he would not be able to get out of. He wished that he could do something about it but they had all agreed not to confront him about it unless he willingly came to them or one of their lives were in danger. So he would do what he could right now. The captain had come to him for advice, has trusted him enough to tell him his troubles. He would help his captain through whatever he was feeling right now.

He obviously was not expecting him to ask such a deep question and he was actually starting to doubt whether or not he should have asked the man this. He didn’t deserve to have his problems just dumped on him. He knew that he should have just left it alone. He would have been able to deal with it later on his own.

“I am not sure what I would do for I have never been in that situation before,” Martin spoke slowly and calmly, like he was choosing his words very carefully. Rip frowned but he had not been expecting anything else. This team didn’t know what he had been going through so there was no way that they would know what to do. Martin hummed when he saw the look on Rip’s face. “Now, I didn’t say that I wouldn’t try to help you through this Captain. If what you said happened to me, I think that I would find myself a person or people that I could depend on no matter what. Someone I could talk to. Someone that is not afraid of me or of what’s happening. I would confide in them, and allow myself to heal from the past. I would try to accept what has happened because there would be nothing I could do to change it. I would move on but keep that memory in my mind so that I will learn from it.”

Rip couldn’t believe that Martin had just said all that. He was a lot wiser than he had first given the man credit for. It made sense, what he was suggesting but the idea of just accepting what the Time Masters and Savage had done to him was unacceptable. He wanted to make them pay for everything they have done to him. But he also knew that he may not be strong enough to do so. He may have a shit ton of power thanks to his Kitsune side, but that didn’t mean that he was willing to use it, or that he even knew how to us it properly. He choices were not looking very good for him.

Martin hummed, bringing his attention back to the rabbit. He had wrapped both hands around his mug and had a strange look in his eyes. If Rip was not mistaken, it was looking a bit malicious. “Not that I’m saying you must let them get away with what they have done. I would, hypothetically, make sure they knew that I was not one to be messed with. I would make sure they knew not to mess with me or the ones I care about,”

Now that was something he had not expected from the older man. Martin was never one for violence, much less actually tell someone to hurt someone else. Even if he had said it was ‘hypothetical’. He could see the truth behind his eyes and he smiled faintly.

“If I were to do that though, things could end up worse for the world. I mean, you probably already know who I am talking about so I won’t deny it. The world needs the Time Master because they keep the time line safe. They make sure time criminals pay for their crimes and that they don’t affect the time line too badly. If the Time Masters were to disappear, who knows what could happen to the world.”

Martin was nodding, seeming to know what he was talking about. He sighed. “Well I-”

“What are you two talking about over here?”

Rip looked over at Kendra, who was carrying a tray with three plates, a giant stack of pancakes and a bottle of maple syrup. She placed them in the middle of the table and started handing out plates. He didn’t see how pancakes were healthy but he wasn’t going to argue. “You both look pretty serious. I hope it’s nothing too bad.”

Martin smiled up at her. “Nope. We were just discussing possibilities,”

“Sounds interesting,” Kendra made sure to top his plate with most of the pancakes. He raised an eyebrow as she handed him a knife and fork with a look that told him “ _you better eat this or else_ ”. 

He gave her a smile and reached for the maple syrup. He soaked his pancakes in a very generous amount of the sticky sweetness before digging in. He had not realized just how hungry he was until he had started eating. He couldn’t talk with his mouth full but the other two didn’t seem to mind. They actually looked amused at how fast he was eating. They both tried to hide their smiles but Rip could see them. He couldn’t say he cared though. If seeing him eat was what made them smile, then he would do it.

“So, what’s our next step? You know, after we deal with the Hunters,” Kendra inquired as she cut her pancakes into small pieces.

He shrugged as he finished the bite. “I don’t know. I was planning on figuring it out while you guys go exploring or whatever tomorrow,”

“I can’t believe that you are allowing us to leave the ship,”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t hear the end of it from multiple members of this team,” Mainly Ray and Sara. Ray seemed to be just as interested in this era that he was. Sara would probably just say that he was trying to keep something from them, like he was hiding another kink in this era. He still couldn’t believe that she had said that in front of the others. He was just glad that no one else had mentioned to him. He definitely would have died of embarrassment if they had.

Kendra giggled, and nodded. “Yeah. Ray seemed quite interested in this era. Who knew that he would be interested in this kind of stuff.”

“Well, we have never been in this era before so he has not had the chance to get excited about it. It is good to see him get excited about stuff other than the ship. Or you and Carter.” Martin shared a grin with the hawk. Rip had a feeling that they might be talking about something a bit too intimate for his tastes so he concerned himself with his pancakes and tried not to show any of his embarrassment. He has been embarrassed in front of his team far too many times already.

Kendra giggled. “He has been quite interest in how we...work together,”

Rip was sure they were doing this on purpose. It seems like his assumptions about Kendra’s modesty were wrong. She didn’t seem all that embarrassed that she was discussing her more intimate part of her life with a team member. He may not know how a team, or pack or whatever they were calling it these days, worked but he even had a hard time talking about sex with Miranda and they had had a child together. He couldn’t imagine even saying the word around this team. It just seemed like something that was private.

He heard Martin huff a small laugh. “Yes, I know. The walls are not exactly the most soundproof. I think we have all heard you at one point or another,”

“Whoops, sorry about that,” She didn’t seem all that sorry.

Martin didn’t even seem to mind the direction that this conversation had taken. “I normally wouldn’t mind but I’m the one that has to listen to Jefferson whine that he’s missing all the action,”

“Oh really? Maybe we should invite him in sometime,”

Rip nearly choked on a piece of pancakes when he heard that but he put it off as a cough. He could not believe that they were discussing this over food like they were just having a conversation about the weather. Both parties were not ones he would guess would talk about in public. Though the kitchen wasn’t much of a public space. He was starting to think that maybe there was something in the food or water that was making them act like this. There could be no way that Martin and Kendra, two of the most modest people on this ship, would be discussing sex with him sitting right in front of them.

“You alright Rip?” Kendra looked over at him and while her words sounded worried, the look in her eyes were anything but. It was almost like she knew exactly what he had been thinking.

He nodded, trying to calm his racing heart. “Yep, I’m fine. I think I’m full. I should get some rest if I’m going to be dealing with everyone tomorrow and the trouble they will most likely cause.”

He stood up, grabbing his plate to deposit it into the sink. He turned, jumping slightly when he almost ran right into Martin.

‘Let us walk you back to your room then,”

“I can find my own way, but thanks,”

“We just want to make sure you actually go to bed and not try to sneak away to work like you normally do,” Kendra looped her arm around his, the same way she did when she brought him here.

He sighed but he knew that it would do no good to argue with them. He actually wanted to get some rest and have some peace and quiet to sort through his thoughts. He allowed them to lead him through the halls. They chatted about things that didn’t have much meaning to him but he was just glad that they had moved on from their previous topic. He didn’t know how much more of that topic he could take without having to flee the room.

They stopped in front of his door. He briefly wondered how they knew where his room was when he remembered that Kendra had been in there before. She had come to him for advice and he had helped her the best he could. She even gave him some advice that he still has not been able to use much. She had suggested that he open up to some of the team, that they would be there for him. He knew that they would have his back when it came to the mission as long as they didn’t know who he really was. His mind was full of too many different thoughts and emotions and he knew that he would have to figure them out if he actually wanted to get some sleep tonight.

“Promise that you will actually sleep?”

The look on Kendra’s face as she asked him this was serious, concerned and a bit stern. He nodded, and gave her a smile. “Promise,”

She stared at him to discern whether or not he was telling the truth. Both her and Sara seemed to like to do that to him. Actually, this entire team has done that to him at one point or another. It was kind of concerning that the team didn’t trust him to tell the truth but it was understandable. He has never given them a reason to trust him.

Martin who placed a hand on her arm. “Alright then. It’s about time that we get to be as well. We will see you in the morning then captain,”

He gave the rabbit a nod and watched as they walked down the hall together. His mind went to the idea that maybe they were going to the same room but he shook himself out of his thoughts to prevent himself from thinking deeper into that particular train of thought. He busied himself by preparing himself for bed.

Once he was in comfortable pyjamas, he settled into bed but his mind was racing a mile a minute and he knew he would never be able to sleep like this. So he propped himself up and reached over to grab an old fashioned notebook from the bedside table. He always found that writing down his thoughts often helped him sort things out when his mind was stuffed with so many random thoughts. His pen hovered over a blank page. His mind was so filled with different things that he had no idea where to start. He decided to make a list of all the things that were bothering him and maybe then he would be able to figure out what to do. Maybe he would be able to sort out which problems were important and which ones could wait.

Vandal Savage was at the top of his list. Still no way of killing the man unless they can get the ancient knife back for Kendra. Kendra didn’t seem ready to kill him. She wants to but the conviction seems to be wavering slightly. She’s still afraid of him. Understandable but it was making this whole thing more difficult. The biggest mystery was the half formed Bond that existed between them. The reasoning was unknown but he knew that it was getting worse. The pain was a constant thing now and it was getting harder and harder to ignore. Something was happening and it seemed like he was the only one who had no idea what it was.

The Time Masters were another things he had a hard time understanding. Eve Baxter had said that they were pursuing him much more intently than any other rogue Time Master before him. It raised many questions in his mind. Like why they were so interested in getting him back and what they would do if they did manage to bring him back to the Vanishing Point? Would they do to him what they did to Mick? Would they try to reprogram him? Or did it have something to do with the same reason Savage wanted him? Too many questions and very few answers.

And then there was the team. The group of people that had wound their way into his heart somehow, despite their rocky start. He was starting to put more trust in them but he was still not at the point of where he could share everything with them. It seemed like all of them had grown so close that it seemed like everyone was sleeping with everyone else. He didn’t care what they did in their free time but it seemed like it was affecting their minds while out on a mission. They were more concerned with each other than completing the mission. In the beginning, he would have hated that. He had wanted to complete the mission with little emotional connection with the team. Now though, he had no idea what he wanted more. To kill Savage and save his family, or to keep this team safe. It raised a lot of problems and he didn’t know how to sort them out so that they didn’t get in the way.

All of these problems left him confused but he felt better after writing it down. He at least knew where his mind needed to be focused. Savage first, then the Time Masters. He would deal with his team as it happened. There was no use planning for his team when they would just do the exact opposite of what he expects them to. He will just have to as they say, “go with the flow” when dealing with his team.

He closed the notebook, and placed it back on the nightstand. His mind felt a lot calmer now that he had written them down. He has not taken the time to write ever since his family was murdered. He had just taken to the other option of keeping his mind busy to prevent himself from thinking too much into it. But now that he has cleared his mind, he knew that he would be able to sleep. And he needed to if he was going to deal with tomorrow. He settled down underneath the blanket, and was asleep in seconds.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip goes over the rules, and witnesses something very unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is the first time I have written anything like this so please go easy on me. Helpful criticism is welcome, because I know there will be more scenes like this in the future. Anyway, enjoy.

He woke slowly, warm and comfortable for the first time in a while. He actually felt like he had gotten a good nights rest and was feeling a lot better than he was yesterday. He considered going back to sleep but he had promised the others that they would be allowed to go and explore the town today. Despite wanting to keep them on the ship to keep an eye on them, he knew that if he did that they would despise him for it. Probably even sneak off the ship anyway. So instead of keeping them locked up in here, he would give them knowledge of this era, and fill them in on the rules if they were going to step foot off this ship. He needed to let them know what was allowed and what was not. Not that they would follow his rules but he could hope.

He pushed himself out of bed with a groan as his muscles ached while he stretched. He made quick work of dressing in hope that he would be able to stop the team before they left the ship. He may not be able to stop them from leaving but he could make some rules that he doubted they would follow. They were never ones to follow rules but he was not thinking they were a lost cause. There might actually be some hope that he could teach them to follow rules.

He sent a message to everyone, telling them to meet him in the bridge in half an hour. It should be enough time for them to get up and ready. If they wanted to eat before they left, they could do it after the meeting. He spent most of that time sorting through his thoughts, trying to figure out a way to get them to understand the rules and actually follow them. He knew that they probably wouldn’t but a man can dream. Maybe he could get Gideon to keep an eye on them somehow?

Once he was on the bridge, he was surprised that most of the team was already there. He was sure he would have to drag them out of bed. The only people missing were the pair of thieves and their resident assassin. He figured that they were spending time together to heal whatever wound was left over from Mick leaving. He would just have to talk to them after the meeting. He didn’t want to interrupt something as important as that. Mick should have a little comfort after everything he has been through.

It took a bit longer than he had thought to explain the rules of this time for some of them kept arguing with him about what they should be allowed to do. He also took the time to show them what equipment was time appropriate. He actually quite enjoyed helping Ray and Jax pick out their outfits. Apparently, they were both very interested in the styles of this time. They all seemed to get it and had even promised him that they would be on their best behaviour. All that was left to do was to talk to the remaining three, the ones most likely to cause trouble.

According to Gideon, they were all in the thieves shared room which wasn’t surprising. He made his way there, planning on being quick and precise so that they could go back to whatever they were doing.

Except, it didn’t go the way he had expected it to.

He had knocked on the door, and after he heard the ‘come in’ from Leonard, a little quiet but still clear, he stepped inside the room. And immediately froze at the sight in front of him.

Mick was sitting at the end of the king size bed, his back pressed against the wall. Sara was straddling his left thigh while Leonard was on his right. And all three of them were completely naked. Mick had a hand on Sara’s waist while she was kissing the dragon and his other was clutching at Leonards ass, though Rip was sure he was doing much more it the sounds the leopard was making were anything to go by. He couldn’t believe what he had walked in on and had considered just walking away. But Leonard had invited him in. Maybe he was expecting someone else. He shouldn’t be watching this. This was a private moment that he was interrupting.

He knew that he should leave but it seemed like his mind and body were at odds at what he should do because he couldn’t muster up the energy to move. Against his will, his eyes took in the scene in more detail. At how Sara was kissing Mick like she was trying suck the very air out of his lungs and how her hand grabbed the dragons wrist to direct his hand between her thighs. Her wings were held up and out, twitching and vibrating. Or how Leonard was moving his hips to try and get his partners fingers deeper. His eyes unwillingly trailed up the mans back, taking in the leopard spots that climbed his spine and covered the firm muscles. You would not be tell because of the clothes the man wore, but he was built of muscle and Rip had to bite his lip to prevent himself from making any embarrassing sounds. He always did like a man that was well built. Like Sara’s wings, his tail was held high and out of the way of Mick’s hands. Mick on the other hand, looked like he had found the holy grail. Rip didn’t blame him. He had a lap full of two beautiful and smart people. Anyone in his position would be looking like that. He could see Mick’s erection standing proud and Rip had to bite harder on his lip to prevent any sounds from escaping. Damn, Mick was impressive. He knew that Mick was a big guy but he hadn’t put much thought into this particular part of the dragon but now that he has gotten a good look, he knew that he would never be able to forget about it.

A sound brought his attention back to Sara, who had detached from Micks mouth and now had her head thrown back. Her eyes were closed, her face displaying the pleasure she was feeling. Mick must have found the right spot if she was moaning like this. God, she was beautiful. Her body was made of both soft curves and hard muscles. What he wouldn’t give to touch her like Mick was right now. But he knew that he couldn’t. He wasn’t worthy enough but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the view. He should have known that it wouldn’t last.

“Enjoying the show, Captain?”

Rip’s eyes flicked back up to Mick, who was gazing at him with a look that was pure sex. His pupils were blown wide and his lips were wet from the make out session with Sara. He didn’t look upset that Rip had been watching. Rather, he gave him a look that told him he felt exactly the opposite.

“Um...I- I just...” He stammered and he couldn’t seem to think in full sentences. “I didn’t...oh dear,”

By now, both Sara and Leonard had turned their attention to him. Both of them were in similar states, pupils blown wide and thoroughly sexed up. He could feel his face heating up and he turned his eyes to the opposite wall. He didn’t want them to know that he had spent the last minute or so watching them while they were in the middle of being...intimate. His instincts were screaming at him, telling him that these three would be perfect mates for him.

“I didn’t know that you were a voyeur Rip,” Sara voice was rough and he couldn’t stop his mind from going to places trying to imagine how it got that way. He shivered slightly at the thoughts that filled his head and couldn’t believe the kind of pervert he was, thinking of his team like this.

“I was, was just...I came to-to,” Rip couldn’t seem to speak properly, which caused his face to get even hotter. He closed his eyes to focus on calming himself down. His heart was racing and he was sure he was a bit more aroused than he would ever admit. But he had come here to do something and he shouldn’t allow himself to be distracted by something he could never have. “I wanted to talk about the rules if you are - are to go out today,”

Movement made him turn his attention back to the trio to see that Sara had stood up. They all watched as she stalked over to him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she moved over to him. He hadn’t realized that he was moving backwards as well until his back hit the wall. Sara continued until she was right up in his space, barely a few inches between them. He avoided looking directly at her as she placed her hands on either side of his head. He saw out of the corner of his eye that both Leonard and Mick were smirking at him.

“Oh yeah?” Sara murmurs, so close to his ear that he could feel her breath. He couldn’t stop the shiver that followed. “So you weren’t interested in watching us? You weren’t interested in how Lenny here was so desperate to get Mick’s fingers as deep inside as he could? Or how long Mick was able to hold off before I allowed him to use his fingers?”

Rip was pretty sure his brain had been fried. He gaped at the woman was was whispering filth in his ear. He never would have guessed that Sara would be like this. His mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to deny what she had said. All that came out was a soft whimper.

“You should have come in sooner. You would have got quite the show when both me and Lenny made Mick beg just by using our mouths? How long do you think he lasted before he broke? Maybe we would have asked you to join. How long do you think you could have lasted?”

She kept going and Rip was sure that he would die from how turned on he was right now. He was not able to deny exactly how much her words affected him. He had figured out that any kind of dirty talk turned him on more than anything else. Or rather, Miranda had figured it out and she liked to use it against him. They have had many nights together where she would take him apart with just her words. He never imagined that he would ever be able to have moments like this, much less with another woman with two other men watching. He didn’t know how much longer he would be able to resist before he completely fell apart.

“Hmm Rip? Nothing to say?”

“I...” He whined low when Sara pressed herself closer to him. He knew that she felt his erection but she didn’t mention it. He really wanted to touch but he held back. He knew that if he got into this right now, he would never be able to let them go again. He was planning on taking them home if things got too dangerous for them or if they manage to fail in their mission. He couldn’t allow himself to get this close to them or it would hurt more than he could handle when they left. “I’m sorry for inte...interupting your time together but we do need to discuss what needs to happen if you leave this ship,”

Sara pulled back to stare at his face, hers filled with concern. “What’s wrong? Did I go to far?”

He felt bad that Sara had thought it was her fault that he was pulling back. He immediately felt the need to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault. “No, I just....I haven’t been with anyone but Miranda and I don’t...I don’t want to allow myself to get too attached to this thing you are trying to build when there’s a chance it won’t last,”

Sara’s frown grew as he spoke and he could see that she understood why he was unwilling to go along with her. She sighed and stepped back. “I’m sorry Rip. I guess I didn’t think about your feelings when I jumped you,”

“You didn’t jump me,” He rushed out though he was sure his face was heating again at the image that popped into his head. “I mean, I wasn’t exactly...turned off by what I saw, and I can’t say I wasn’t interested,”

“I can see that,” She leered at him, giving his body a once over. He flushed at the look she gave him but he could not allow himself to get distracted.

“But I can’t have this getting in the way of the mission,” He knew that his words sounded a bit harsh but they were true. If he got this intimate with the members of this team, he would be too distracted, too vulnerable in the field. He needed to be strong when the time came to finally kill Savage. “If I had even allowed myself a little break to do...this with you, I don’t think that I would be able to...”

“To go back to your wife?” Sara was starting to look upset and he rushed to try and fix it.

He reached out to grip her hands in his. He purposely ignored the fact that she was still naked by focusing his eyes on her face. “That’s not it, Sara. My wife and I are...were open with our relationship. We may have been married but she was convinced that she should not be the only one that I love because I had not had enough in my life. This would not be the first time that someone has...offered, but this time it is different.”

“Because we’re your team?”

“No. Because if I allow myself to get attached to you, or them, when you guys finally decide you’ve had enough of my crap or if when finish this mission and you guys go home, I don’t think that I will be able to let go of it so easily.” He didn’t want to allow himself to get so worked up about this but he couldn’t help it. The very idea that he would have to let this team go home eventually was breaking his heart.

Sara frowned. She took a step back and crossed her arms. “What makes you think that we are going to leave even after we kill Savage?”

“I...well, I just assumed that you guys would want to go home after we finish,” Rip was uncertain as to where this conversation was going. He was thinking that maybe they should wait until they all had some clothes on so that they could have a civilized conversation.

“There you go assuming again,”

He turned his gaze to the bed when Mick spoke. He was still leaning against the wall, but Leonard had moved so that he was leaning with his back against the dragons chest watching the two of them. Mick was looking amused while the leopard was watching him with a critical eye. Both of them were still naked, not even bothering to cover up.

“I made the assumption based on the fact that all of you guys have lives back home. Lives that I took you from and I just want to make sure you guys get back to them without having to regret anything.” He spoke, trying to cover up the fact that he was feeling even more embarrassed. He had forgotten that the two other men were here.

“You think we regret coming with you?” Leonard spoke this time, with a little confusion in his voice.

“No. I just think....look, can we do this when you guys are more...decent?” He was trying very hard not to look at them but it was hard. Three very gorgeous people were in this room with him and he was having a very hard time to keep his eyes from wandering.

Sara grinned. “Why? You embarrassed? Or is it something else?”

He saw the smirk forming on her face and his face heated up once again. “No, no...I umm...just think that this conversation should be a bit more serious.”

“And being naked isn’t serious?” Leonard was starting to share Sara’s mindset for he was starting to smirk as well.

“We all know how serious sex can be,” He nearly groaned when Sara spoke. He was just starting to believe that he was getting them to be more serious, they turn the whole conversation around.

“Before this goes down hill, I’m going to go and wait in the bridge for you guys to...finish,” He couldn’t believe that he had just told them to finish their...activities before joining him but he also knew that connecting would be a good thing for both Mick and Leonard.

“Alright. Are you sure you don’t want to join in?” This time, it came from Mick. He was still smirking at him and he had to look away before he actually accepted.

“I’m sure,”

Sara gave him a look that was very similar to the one she gave him at the beginning of this conversation. “Then you better leave now or you’ll get another show,”

And he took that as his cue to leave. He wasn’t sure he would be able to resist if they continued where they had left off. He ducked out of the room but he didn’t miss the loud moan that Leonard let out as the door closed. His mind went to all of the things that Mick might have done to make him sound like that. He wondered how hard Mick had to work to make Leonard a mess like he had been when he had first walked in the room.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. He really did not want to go down that particular path when he had just gotten his arousal under control. He hurried to the bridge and tried to keep his mind off of what was happening in that room. He focused mainly on what was currently going on in this time so that he could be prepared when the team brought trouble his way like they normally do. He used that to get his arousal under control so that he was no longer showing any outward signs of it.

It took them another twenty minutes before they came sauntering into the room. They all looked way too smug with themselves. He kept his eyes trained on the screen before him so he wouldn’t have to witness the state that they were in.

“The others are getting ready to leave so if you guys are planning on going with them, you better hurry up and get changed. While I’m sure you look good in what you are wearing, you won’t fit in with the common folk.”

“What? I thought you wanted to talk about what happened?” Sara asked, confused.

“I...can it wait?” He didn’t really feel like explaining to them right now. His mind was so _confused_. He wanted to get closer with them but there was fear still holding him back. He just wanted to sort his thoughts out right now.

“Why?”

That was a very good question, one that he didn’t know the answer to yet. The thoughts that he had pushed down earlier were threatening to come to surface but he knew that he was not ready to deal with it. At least not yet.

“I have a lot on my mind right now and I just need some time to figure it out. Please Sara?” He looked up from the screen to try and convey his message better. That he just needed some time to sort out his feelings. His mind may be messed up but his heart was at war with everything that he felt. He hadn’t thought that he had needed to figure it out last night because he wasn’t aware of just how much was going on inside him.

Sara seemed to understand what he was trying to say because she nodded. “Sure, but after we deal with the Hunters and whatever comes with them, we are going to sit down and have a chat about this,”

Rip huffed a laughed. “I think I can manage that. I just need some peace and quiet which I’m sure won’t last with this group. Now, you three better go get changed. Gideon can give you options for the correct kind of outfits and weapons that you can use in this time,”

He could hear Leonard mutter something while shaking his head but he knew better to start something with him right now. He saw Sara grab his arm and pull him towards the fabrication room and he moved so that he could catch Mick before he left.

“Can you...try to keep everyone out of trouble?”

Mick raised an eyebrow at that question. He turned so that he was fully facing him and Rip saw the grin on his face. He just barely stopped the shiver that went through him from the look on his face. It seemed like Mick was still trying to get him all riled up. He leaned forward so close to Rip that he was sure he was going to kiss him but all he did was smirk, like he knew something about him.

“Don’t worry Captain, I’ll be a good boy,”

His words, plus the deep way he said it sent a wave of want through his body but he knew that he must not act on it until he knew exactly what he wanted. So all he did was nod, knowing that if he opened his mouth right now, he might now be able to hide exactly how much those words had affected him. He watched Mick leave with that stupid smirk on his face like he knew exactly what he had been thinking. 

He didn’t know how long he stood there for, trying to calm himself before he realized it wasn’t going to work. His body had been aroused too much today and just willing away his erection wasn’t going to work. He could wait for it to go away naturally but that could take some time given how Mick’s words and their actions from earlier were running round and round his mind. He couldn’t believe what he was going to have to do. He hasn’t pleasured himself since Jonas had been born. Miranda had always taken care of it when he was home and he was always too busy to take care of it when it did happen while away.

“Sir, the team has left the ship and are on their way to Salvation. Mr. Hall has explained the rules to everyone and has made sure all of them actually understood them before he allowed them to leave,”

Rip nodded, and shut everything down for the moment. He had a few things he needed to do before he got back into his work. He began to make his way back to his room to deal with the most serious problem right now. “Good. I’m sure that Carter will be able to keep the damages down,”

Gideon didn’t say anything else but he was sure that she knew what he was going to do, which caused his embarrassment to skyrocket but he didn’t stop. She has seen him do much more embarrassing stuff than this. He should be able to do this without dying of embarrassment.

When he reached his own bathroom, he sat down on his toilet and pulled himself out of his pants. He was planning on just being quick and efficient. Though after a few minutes he figured it wasn’t going to work. He groaned in frustration when it didn’t seem to help him get any closer to the edge. He has never really had any particular fantasy when he has pleasured himself in the past other than his wife but he didn’t like the idea of jerking off to the fantasy of his dead wife so he didn’t know what else he could use to make him climax.

So he closed his eyes and let his imagination work. At first, he was imagining a body against him, soft but powerful. Soft curves and powerful muscles, blonde hair and white wings, he knew that the woman in his fantasy had taken the shape of Sara but he tried not think too much into it. He whined softly when the not so mysterious person seemed to take control in his own fantasy but it was working so he relaxed and allowed himself to enjoy the moment. He could feel himself getting closer and closer to the edge and he moved his hand faster. But even with his fantasy, he couldn’t push himself over the edge. It felt like he was missing something. He whimpered and groaned as he continued to stroke himself faster but he needed something to finish.

“ _Good boy_ ,”

His eyes flew open and he groaned as he came. He had no idea where that had come from or why it sounded like Mick’s voice but he had to say it was one of the most intense moments he’s had alone. His breath was coming in gasps, his heart racing and he was trembling. He took a moment to enjoy his afterglow but he knew that he had important work to do. So after his heart had calmed and his breathing had returned to normal, he stood up and tucked himself back into his pants.

It seemed like having that moment to himself had actually helped clear his mind enough so that he could get some work done. He used the advice that Leonard had given him days ago. He didn’t search for Savage directly, rather looked for things he might have affected. He had tracked several moments in time where Savage could have shown up but it wasn’t definite. He would ask the others for their opinions when they came back. It had only been about two hours since the team had left but he had gotten more work done now than he has when he pulled all nighters.

He figured that since he has found several possible leads, he deserved a break. He saved all the data he has gathered and made his way to the kitchen. He only made it half way before he stopped. He didn’t know why he stopped but there was just something... _off_. He couldn’t figure out what it was. He let his powers reach out around him but he could not detect anything malicious. In fact, it felt rather familiar but he couldn’t place what it was. There was something there though so he followed his instincts knowing that whatever was thrown at him, he would be able to deal with it. They led him off his ship and he wondered if this was another Time Master trick to capture him, or maybe a trick by one of the many gangs of this time, so he remained on his guard as he left the safety of his ship.

What he was not expecting, was an older woman standing in front of the ship. She was wearing the traditional clothing of the poorer population with a stetson set on her grey hair. Her face was calm, strangely calm for someone who was standing in front of technology way beyond her time. Rip didn’t recognize her but he still looked around for anyone else. She was alone but that didn’t mean that he was going to let himself be caught unaware.

“Who are you?”

The woman tilted her head at his words. “Someone who can help you,”

That wasn’t cryptic at all, Rip thought to himself. She didn’t appear dangerous but she could be hiding some power. Her Animalis was hidden, which was extremely odd. Especially in this time period. “What gave you the idea that I needed help? How did you even know I was here?”

“I felt your confusion and your pain. Come with me. I shall tell you what you want to know,” The woman turned away from him and started walking away.

He could not believe that the woman had expected him to follow her without question. He frowned, wondering what she was up to and why she wanted to help him if that really was her goal. “Uh, excuse me? I’m not just going to follow you without knowing why you want to help me, or even why I should trust you,”

The woman stopped and turned back to him. She didn’t say anything to him but she took off her hat and he felt the rise in power surrounding them. He stumbled back but could not take his eyes off the sight in front of him.

White sparks of magic filled the air, the pressure rising almost to the point where he had to let out his own power to prevent himself from being suffocated in it. Long silver ears curved up from her hair, so very familiar. Her eyes had become slitted and were glowing the purest of silver. His eyes went to the most shocking part though. Four silver tails were splayed out behind her, slightly shorter than his own but it didn’t matter. She was like him, she was a Kitsune. He couldn’t believe it, couldn’t seem to comprehend it. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Before he could even get his head around the fact that there was another of his species standing in front of him, the power was gone and the woman was standing in front of him her fox features hidden away.

She turned and was moving away from him again. “Come. I will tell you what you need to know,”

Rip stared after in in shock, still not understanding how this could have happened. He may not understand what or how this happened but he wasn’t going to let this chance to find out more about himself get away. He shook himself out of his stupor and stumbled after her.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip finally learns the truth about himself and his species.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, the reasoning behind a lot of things. I hope that this makes sense to you guys but if you guys are fuzzy about anything, just let me know.

Rip followed the woman at a distance, still unsure at what her plan was. She may have been a Kitsune like him but that didn’t mean he automatically trusted her. He tried to use his abilities to read her emotions but it seemed like she had better control over her emotions than anyone he has ever met. The only reason he was following her was the fact that she probably had information that could explain why he was the way he was. He needed to know more about himself if he was ever going to allow himself to use him power too many times.

She led him in the opposite direction of the town and he wondered briefly if this was a good choice. He wanted to know about himself and his species but following a random woman into the unknown didn’t seem like the best idea. But he knew that despite the risk, he was going to do what he must to learn about his power and why it was so uncontrollable and bloodthirsty. 

The woman didn’t say anything to him as they came upon a small farm house, even as she led him inside and pointed to a chair for him to sit down. He hesitantly took his seat and watched as she removed her coat and her hat. He waited patiently for her to join him but she just moved over to the kitchen area. She continued with her silence as she started a fire in the fireplace and placed a kettle over it. Apparently, they were going to have tea. Okay then. He was still in shock that there was another of his kind right here in the room with him that he seemed to be having a little trouble processing everything that was going on.

It wasn’t that he was surprised there was another Kitsune in the world, just that he managed to run into one here, where he was supposed to be hiding out. The chances of this actually happening were so low and yet here he was. Sitting in the house of someone who might finally be able to give him the answers he’s been craving since he was a child. His heart was racing a mile a minute and he was so nervous that he was sure he was shaking. He didn’t think that he has every felt this excited and nervous about anything else before. Except maybe when he learned that he was going to be a father. He was just as excited and twice as terrified as he was then.

He watched as the woman, who still has not given him her name, moved around the kitchen. When the tea was ready, she brought it over to the table, along with six cups. He frowned. He was sure that it was only going to be the two of them, so why the extra cups? And she didn’t even pour them a cup. She just set everything on the table, sat across from him, and stared. And stared. He shifted uncomfortably as the silence went on. He was sure that the woman was studying him. She seemed to be a bit disappointed with what she saw in him.

When the silence was getting almost too much for him, he opened his mouth to speak but the woman had other ideas.

“You’re not what I expected.” She folded her hands in her lap and was still studying him with a keen eye. He didn’t really like the way she was looking at him.

He was expecting a lot of things from her as well but this was not one of them. He wasn’t sure whether he should be insulted or not. “Umm...what were you expecting?”

A small smile grew on her face, like she knew what he had been thinking. “Most of our kind are not as...open or as social as you seem to be,”

He frowned. This was not how he had thought this conversation would go. He didn’t even know what that had to do with what they are. He still hadn’t decided if he could trust this woman. She may be like him but that didn’t mean she didn’t have malicious intentions. “Social? How would you know that?”

She hummed slightly. “I saw your friends leave for the town. They are a rather loud and obnoxious group,”

“Yeah, that’s putting it mildly,” He didn’t know how he felt about knowing that she had been watching the ship for at least a few hours. It also raised the question of why she didn’t try to contact him sooner if she had really known what he was. Though he could probably guess going by where she lived and how she acted out in the open. She was suspicious, almost to an extreme and he had to wonder if it had something to do with what she was. What they were. “Listen, I don’t-”

She interrupted him again. “You don’t know anything about our kind, do you?”

He shook his head. He really wanted to get past this part and get into the information that he needed. The information that he followed her here for. “No. I’ve never had anyone that actually knew anything about our kind to learn from. Our kind isn’t exactly well known either,”

She nodded, as if it all made sense to here. “That’s understandable. I myself learned from my aunt. She was like us, only she had seven tails and lived a long while. She was able to learn about our species from her experiences and passed them down to me,”

That made a bit more sense as to how she appeared to have knowledge about their species but he was still confused as to who this woman was and why she had wanted to talk to him. She seemed like the solitary kind of person but to go out of her way to find him and bring him here so that she could tell him about who and what they were, it was a bit strange. It made him think that maybe there was something else going on here. 

“Listen, I appreciate you helping me understand what I am better but I can help but think that maybe you have some other agenda Miss...”

She studied him again, but this time he could tell that she was pleased. “Portia. Portia Lynn Cambell. When I first laid eyes on you, I was a bit disappointed. I had felt this massive power like my aunts and thought that the man would match the power but it doesn’t,”

He couldn’t help but feel a bit insulted by that. He knew that he didn’t look like the most powerful person but he didn’t look weak either. He wasn’t weak and he knew how to take care of himself. She didn’t look like she was insulting him though so he knew that he had to get more information before he got too upset with her. “I...I’m not sure I understand,”

“I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just expecting something different when I felt your power. We Kitsunes are able to recognize our own kind, even when we are hiding and we are normally able to tell each others power as well but you...are a confusing man.” The woman laughed, which was confusing _him_. This woman would say something that sounded insulting to him but would act like they were just talking about the weather. He was so confused but he was also strangely interested. Her ‘aura’ or whatever it was, was strangely soothing to him. “Your power is so strong but I can feel that you are pushing it down, almost dangerously so. That is the main reason I brought you here. To learn why you are shoving the one thing that makes you who you are,”

He was kind of irritated that this woman, Portia thought that his Kitsune side was the biggest thing that made him who he was. It wasn’t even near the top of the list for him. “My power...is not the easiest to control. It’s wild and merciless and...let’s just say that I lose myself when I let it out,”

Portia snorted in amusement. “Of course you do. That is the nature of our species power,”

Rip frowned. The ‘nature of our species’? Did that mean that every Kitsune had trouble controlling their power? But this woman was able to show him her fox side and he felt no bloodlust, no anger from her when she did. Did she find a way of controlling her power? Was it something that he would be to learn?

“I can hear your thoughts from here and your emotions are leaking. I guess you thought that it was just you, huh?”

Her words were mocking but her tone was calm. Her state of mind was really confusing him. “Y-yeah, I guess. I’ve met a lot of people but none of them had so little control over their power like I do,”

“Do have any idea why you think that is?” She seemed to be testing him again and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “What does it feel like to you when you lose control of your power?”

He wasn’t sure where she was going with this. She knew that he had trouble controlling his fox side and yet was didn’t seem ready to share her secret on how she controls hers. But he wanted, no he _needed_ her help if he was ever going to gain control. So he sat back and thought on her questions. “I don’t know why but I’ve often felt like...like the power I have is too much. Like the power just keeps coming and won’t stop. There have been times in the last few weeks where I have used my power without losing complete control but there’s always this...feeling like I had an unlimited amount of power,”

By the time he finished speaking, he could see Portia smiling. He must have gotten something right. “It seems like you have already figured out why we Kitsunes have such a hard time with our power. It’s not easy to control,”

“But you don’t seem to have any problems with it back at my...ship,” He didn’t want to pry too much into her business but this concerned him and he needed to know.

Except she didn’t seem bothered that he had asked. “You’re right. I have no trouble with my power because I have found a way to control it. Actually, it was my aunt who found a way,”

“How?” He wouldn’t admit to how excited he sounded. This was what he wanted, this is what he has been waiting for his entire life. A way to control the fox.

“Rather than just tell you, I’ll show you. This cup, is you.” Portia leaned forward and picked up a cup from where she had set them at the beginning of their conversation. He had honestly forgotten that they were there. She then moved the kettle over to sit beside the cup. “This kettle represents all of your power that life has given you,”

She then proceeded to fill the cup with tea but she didn’t stop when the liquid reached the top. In fact, she let it spill over the edge slightly. He raised his hand to stop her but she stopped before he could say anything. She placed the kettle back down on the table and turned to look at him again.

“With the amount of power you have, there is no way that you will be able to use all of it. Like the way this cup can in no way hold all of the tea in this kettle, you will never be able to hold all that power.”

“So...what do I do?”

Portia gave him another smile but he could see that it wasn’t a true smile. He saw sadness in it and wondered if maybe he would be better off not knowing. He didn’t get the chance to ask because she was leaning forward again and grabbed the rest of the cups.

“The only way to stabilize your power...is to share it,” She placed the other five cups around the one that was already full. She grabbed the kettle and gave him a look that told him he needed to pay attention. She started to pour some tea into the next cup. He thought she would over fill it like the one previous but she stopped once it was full and moved to the next one. She continued to speak as she filled the rest of the cups. “Our species power is not meant for one person to control. And the only way for the power to stabilize enough that you can use it and have complete control, is to share it. No more blood lust, no more anger, no more black outs. You will no longer need to worry if you will hurt your loved ones. You will never have to fear your own power again,”

He watched her, his mind in a trance like state. He watched as the final drops of tea fell into the last cup. He couldn’t believe what she was saying. He would never have to fear himself or his power ever again. He wouldn’t have to be so afraid to use his power to protect his team and his family. He would finally be able to use his power without fearing he would hurt someone. He could finally be himself.

But...she had looked a bit sad when she had started this whole thing. Maybe what she was explained wouldn’t be easy. Or it had some hidden meaning in it. He had to calm himself down so that he wouldn’t get ahead of himself and allow himself to have false hope. It would be best to get as much information as he could before making any kind of decision.

“Okay. So I have to share my power. But how do I do that and how do I know how many people I need to share it with before it becomes stabilized?”

Portia didn’t speak for a moment. She placed the kettle down and sighed. She seemed like she didn’t really want to speak about it and that made him worried. It must be something serious or hard to do if she was looking like that.

“Our species may not make much sense with our power, and it often seems like our species shouldn’t even exist with how much of a contradiction we are. But it does give hints, they’re just not obvious.” She laughed lightly, as is enjoying an inside joke that he just didn’t understand. “The amount of people that you need to share your power with is equal to the number of tails you have.”

“I’m sorry?” He wasn’t sure that he heard her right. He must have heard her wrong. There was no way that it could be true. How the hell was he going to to be able to do that? “I’m going to have to share my power with _nine_ people?!”

He knew that he sounded a bit hysterical but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t even know what he had to do to share his power with people but knowing that nine people would have a part of his power was a bit scary. He could barely control his power so how would nine other people do it? Though, Portia had shown him that his power would be divided among these people and it would be more stable than it is now. But who would he be able to chose and did he need to chose nine? He would have to keep those people near him so that his power would not get into the wrong hands.

He didn’t realize that he had spaced out until he looked back over at Portia who was staring at him in shock. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was gaping open.

“You-you have _nine_ tails?” She whispered. She seemed to be in a state of both shock and disbelief. 

“Uhh..yes?”

Her eyes narrowed at him and he was sure that she was skeptical of him. Like she thought he was lying. “Show me,”

Once again, he was sure he misheard her. She could be asking him to show her his Kitsune form. She knew how dangerous it was and that he could not control his power all that well. She must have known how dangerous it could be. “Why?”

She sat forward in her chair, eyes hard. “Because it’s hard to believe that you are a nine tailed Kitsune and have lived this long while hiding who you are,”

Why was it so hard for her to believe? It was almost like she though he was purposely lying to her. “Why? I mean, I can hardly be the first one of our kind to hide what they are for their whole lives,”

“And you’re not. You are just the only nine tailed one that has been able to hide for as long as you have. Normally, only the ones with low magical abilities can withstand the pressure of hiding their power. I had a hard time doing it until I shared my power with others, and I only have four tails. For you to have nine and still be in control for the most part is...it’s incredible. And a little hard to believe. I want to see if you are actually telling the truth.”

It’s understandable that she was skeptical of him but he didn’t think that this would be a good idea. “I don’t want my power to get out of control. I don’t want to hurt you,”

“You won’t. We may have uncontrollable power, but we also know that we need to depend on each other. I am not a threat to you and your power will see that. Now, show me,” She sat back unexpectedly. She didn’t look worried, or even concerned that he might hurt her. She looked rather excited.

Seeing as he didn’t really have any other option if he was going to get her to believe him he stood up and released his power. The change was immediate and _so_ gratifying. It always felt like like his skin was too tight when he hid his power. He has long since gotten used to it but every time he let his power power out, he felt incredible. He had hated how good it made him feel but now he just allowed himself to enjoy the moment. His power filled the air with soft gold sparks as his fox attributes fully came out for the first time since confronting Druce. He had to stand a little away from his chair and the table to make room for his tails. Instead of allowing them to splay behind him and take up a lot of space in this small room, he curled them around his sides, the soft fur tickling his arms. He licked his lips nervously, careful of the canines.

He had honestly expected to feel...something like he normally did when he let go. But he didn’t. He felt like himself, except maybe a little bit less nervous than he had been. He was no longer afraid that his power would hurt Portia, nor did he think he would lose himself in his power. It seemed like his own magic recognized something in the woman, something that made him calmer. She had said that his fox would recognize her as fellow fox. She was right. He felt almost a kinship to her, one that he hadn’t felt until he released his own power.

Portia was gaping at him and he couldn’t help but feel self conscious. He has never willingly showed anyone this side of him, other than Gideon. So he was unsure what to expect as the woman stood from her chair and circled him. Her look of awe was so similar to the few people who have seen him like this. She was silent as she walked around him, studying every part of him. He shifted on his feet but kept his eyes straight ahead. He watched the sparks of magic float around the room. He could feel her eyes on him but he actually didn’t care much.

‘Would you mind if I...?” She had stopped at his side and had a hand halfway towards him. While so very few people has seen his Kitsune side, even few have actually touched any part of him. Actually, no one has touched him while like this. He has even refrained from touching any part of himself while in this form. But he didn’t feel any kind of apprehension or fear at the thought of this random woman that he has just met, touch him.

“I guess. I mean, I don’t know why you want to.”

“I can feel your magic in the air, and I have to say it is so much more powerful than it was when I felt it for the first time,” She gave him a gentle smile. “I guess it was just because you were hiding it. I should have known it was this powerful given how strong it was when it was pushed down. But I want to really... _feel_ your magic. The way it feels now may be completely different than what it feels like inside you. The magic inside you is much more honest than the magic outside you.”

So she was saying that the magic floating around the room was different than the magic stirring inside him. It made a little but he knew that it was more than that. “So you want to see what kind of person I am by...feeling the magic that’s...”

“Residing in you heart and your soul, yes,”

It sounded a bit strange but letting his power out had allowed him to feel Portia’s emotions more in depth. He could feel that she was really interested in him and wasn’t going to harm him.

“Okay, go ahead.”

He was sure she would go right ahead and touch right over his heart. She had said that she wanted to feel the magic in his heart. Instead of doing what he had expected her to do, she circled him again. He may not have been nervous but there was still something deep in his chest that was a bit...at odds with what was happening.

Her first touch was between his shoulder blades. He barely repressed the flinch at her touch. It was just a light touch but it felt like so much more. She had said that she wanted to feel his magic at it’s purest but he felt like maybe this went both ways. He felt her touch but he also felt a power that was so very familiar but so very different at the same time. It took him a moment to realize that he was feeling her magic. It was so strong and so calming to him. 

Her touch moved across his shoulder blades slowly, and down his back. It felt strangely intimate to him but he didn’t pull away. She pulled her hand away when it was halfway down his back and he thought that might be it. That she was done. Except a few moments later, he felt a touch on one of his tails. He shuddered at the feeling that came with it. It seemed much more intense than the touch on his back. Much more intimate as well. It only lasted a second but it felt like ages. He let out a soft breath as Portia came into in line of sight. She had such an interesting look in her eyes that he didn’t even know how to explain it. It was like she was looking at her childhood hero, a science experiment and some magical creature she has never seen before.

Her next touch was where he had first thought she would. It was against his chest but it wasn’t just her fingers like the previous touches. She placed her entire palm against his chest, right above his heart. Her eyes fluttered before they closed after a moment. He wondered what she was feeling right now. Was wondering what his magic was saying about him. She took a deep breath after a moment and reopened her eyes. They were shining with silver energy, and he watched as the pupils elongated, becoming slitted. She removed her hand from his chest and he thought she was done. She wasn’t.

She moved her hand up to his forehead and placed her hand on it. Her eyes fell closed again. He could feel her power even stronger now and it was...an interesting feeling. It was calming but he could feel something deep within her magic. Something ancient, something so strangely familiar that it was making him feel at home. It made him feel safe, which was something he hasn’t felt with anyone but his family and his team.

When she pulled away, it took him a moment to realize that she was no longer touching him. He watched as she took a step back and reopened her eyes. She stared at him for a moment before moving back to her chair to sit down. He felt like he should take her example. He sat down but he did not hide his Animalis. He felt more comfortable here with this stranger than ever before.

Portia sat in silence, watching him like she couldn’t believe he was sitting in front of her. He didn’t know what could possibly be going through her mind. He has heard what other people have said about this side of him and it was never pleasant. But Portia was like him. She wouldn’t be as judgmental as the other people because she must understand what he must have gone through. What he was still going through.

“You...are not what you appear to be,” She murmured. She laughed softly and leaned back in her chair. “On the outside, you just seem like any old person. You have a life, with friends you care about and a goal in life. A bit rough around the edges but from what I have seen in your mind, you are more stable than I would have thought.”

“Umm, thanks I think,” He was pretty sure that was supposed to be a compliment.

“Let’s just start with the basic. Both you mind and your heart are at war with itself. I could see a part of your history in your mind. It’s horrible what you have had to go through but that has affected how your power works. How it acts and reacts. You should be more comfortable with yourself like this,” She waved her hands towards him. She was meaning that he should be more comfortable with being like this and allowing his fox side out. “But the people who took you in have had a bad influence as well. They only made you believe that you needed to hide even more.”

He was worried that she saw more than he would have liked but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “They weren’t the first ones to make me think that,”

“They might not be but they didn’t try to change you. They didn’t try to help you,” She shook her head. She looked almost...sorry for him. “It doesn’t matter. From what I could see, you left them and it’s better that way. You must never go back to them,”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” He huffed. He was never going back to them They would have to kill him first if they ever want to bring him back.

Portia nodded, looking relieved. “Good. They couldn’t help you but you have people who can,”

“I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand,” She couldn’t possibly know what his team meant to him. He didn’t even know what they meant to him yet. He knew that he cared for them but to what extent? He has killed for them, and will again if the time came. He knew that he liked having them around, no matter how much trouble they caused. And that it will hurt letting them go home but he still didn’t know how far his feelings for them went.

“Those friends of yours. The ones that left earlier. I could see in your heart that you care for them quite deeply.” It seemed like she knew more about his feelings than he did.

“They are...important to me,”

“Which is why you should keep them by your side. They have helped you more than you realize. You need them if you want to become stable.” She saw the look on his face and shook her head. “I’ll explain later. There is just one thing left that worries me. Something that I saw when you first allowed yourself to be...yourself.”

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to that. But he has come all this way and showed this woman his very soul. He wasn’t going to back down now. “What is it?”

She sat up straight, back to business. “The biggest problem with you right now. Your power. It’s...incredible. I’ve never felt anything like it before. It has the same kind of magical signature as mine but it is so much more powerful than I could have imagined. It’s also very unstable. Have you had problems with it lashing out or getting too violent?”

They were finally getting to why his power was so violent. “All the time. It has gotten easier to control but the blood lust that I feel every time my power is used, has only gotten worse. It doesn’t feel that way when I use it but afterwards when I have had time to think about it, I realize just how much I actually wanted to hurt people. And I didn’t even care that I wanted to.”

Portia nodded. It seemed like she knew exactly why he was feeling like this. Maybe she could help him get that part of himself under control as well. “Your power is unstable because it is just you handling it. When you learn to share your power, your power will stabilize and the blood lust will disappear. The blood lust is your powers way of finding the right people to share with. It kills all the ones too weak to handle it, saving only the strong to help you,”

“Okay...” He rubbed his eyes trying to process the fact that his blood lust was just a side affect of his unstable power. Apparently his power like to kill people who weren’t strong enough to handle it. Sounds...logical, in a way. “So what do I have to do to make it stop? I mean, you said that I have to ‘share’ my power with nine people but how do I do that?”

The same look of sadness from before came over her. “This is where it gets kind of complicated. There is only one way to share you power with people but once you do it, there is no going back. You can not take back your power once it it shared so you must choose those people very carefully.”

That did not sound good. What if he put his trust in someone who would use his power for bad? He would never be able to get his power back so he needed to trust these nine people more than anything. “Okay. But how do I even share my power? You haven’t told me,”

She paused, seeming hesitant to tell him. She sighed after a minute. She must have known that she couldn’t hide it from him. That he needed to know. “You need to form a connection between the two hearts and the two minds. Something so powerful that the two of you will be forever connected. It is the only way.”

Thoughts raced through his head but he could only come up with one thing but it did not sound too good. “What? Are you...are you talking about a Bond?”

“Yes. There is no other way to form this connection with someone. It is the only way that your power can be safely transferred to someone else.” She shook her head with a small laugh. It was filled with bitterness. “When I found out what I had to do, I refused to do it. I was a very independent woman when I was younger and thought that I didn’t need anyone else.”

“What happened?”

“My power grew stronger. Grew uncontrollable. It got to the point where it nearly killed me.” Her eyes took on a glaze, as if she was reliving her past. “Then I was saved. A woman came to me and offered to help. No romantic relationship needed. She said she would be more like my mentor than a lover. She was an ancient type, a phoenix. And I was at the point where I didn’t care anymore. So I agreed. And it got so much easier. The first Bond is the most important because it is the first step towards full stability. It is what your power craves and so the first will always get the most power from you because they will be the ones to start the process.”

It seemed like his mind had shut down as she spoke. His chest was tight with fear, his mind at a full stop. It was beyond surprising that the way to stabilize his power was through Bonds but that was not what was terrifying him. He could feel himself shaking and he was sure that Portia had noticed. She was leaning forward with concern written all over her face.

“What’s wrong? Hey, tell me what’s wrong?”

“What....what would happen if someone found out that our power can be shared and tried to...force a Bond on us?” He could barely get the words out. It made so much sense now, why Savage had tried to Bond with him. He must have found out about him and was trying to get him to share his power with him. But their Bond was incomplete and causing him more pain than it should be. He needed to know if there was anything he could do to break this half formed Bond. “What if they actually managed to bite you and try to form a Bond, what could we do to get rid of it?”

Portia’s concern had vanished, replaced with fear, sadness and a bit of panic. “There is no way to break it. You _must_ complete the Bond,”

That was definitely not what he wanted to hear. Complete the Bond? With Savage? There was no way in hell he was going to do that. “What will happen if I don’t?”

“Look, I understand why you might not want to complete this Bond but you _must_!” She insisted and moved even closer to him so that she could reach out and grab his hands. “You wanna know why? Because if you don’t two things could happen and both are very bad options. The first one is that the Bond, or the half formed Bond, will become extremely unstable the more time passes and eventually it will just break down your body and you will _die_.”

The ache in his shoulder throbbed at that. He had not had the chance to take a proper look at it for a few days but it definitely felt like the wound had grown bigger. It also felt like he wasn’t at his best, like the wounds and injuries that he has gotten the in past few weeks weren’t healing properly. Like his body wasn’t able to heal properly. He had put it off to just being tired but now he knew that it was more than that. Dying didn’t seem so bad if the only other option was to Bond with his family’s murderer. “And the second option?”

Portia frowned, as if she could tell what he was thinking. “Your power will grow stronger, more unstable and it will start to...affect your mind. You will start to see things, hear things that aren’t actually there. You will lose yourself forever with no way of getting back to normal. You will become...less than yourself until your wild power eventually kills you,”

Okay so the options were either the Bond will continue to fester until it tore his body apart or until it tore his mind apart. Both options ended with him dead. Normally he wouldn’t mind but he still had a job to do. He still had people who were depending on him. He couldn’t die before he could save his family. He needed to find a way to kill Savage before it happened. At least he would be able to save his family before he died.

“May I...see it?”

Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he lifted his head to look at her. “See what?”

She gestured to him, seeming a bit embarrassed that she asked. “See the mark he left. I might be able to tell how long you have before either options become a reality.”

It would be good to know exactly how long he would have to complete his mission and save his family. He might not be able to stop what was about to happen but he wasn’t going to just lie down and take it. He was going to fight to his very last breath.

“Okay, sure.” He turned in his seat while unzipping his jacket. He tried not to move his arms too much or pain would flash across his body. The pain was not as bad as he had been but it was still noticeable. He was wearing a simple black tee under his jacket, which he removed quickly. He winced as his shoulder ached but he didn’t make a sound.

He heard her quick intake of breath, and then her fingers brushed against the wound. He flinched but he didn’t feel any pain. She had touched the center of the wound, the cause and yet he barely felt it. It seemed like that part of him had gone numb, while the surrounding area was burning.

“This is worse than I could have imagined,” She whispered. “How long has it been since this happened?”

“A little over a week, why?”

“It shouldn’t be this bad. It shouldn’t have spread this far after only a week. It should take at least a week to even show signs that something is wrong. It takes months for your body to decay to the point of death. This is...this is much more serious. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you are a nine tailed Kitsune, or the fact that you have hidden this part of you for so long. Maybe even both. Your power is so desperate for stability that it is pushing this much faster than it normally happens. Just...let me think for a moment.”

She pulled back but didn’t return to her seat. Instead, she started pacing around the room. She was muttering to herself but he couldn’t hear her. He pulled his shirt back on and carefully pulled his jacket on. She had said that she needed to think and so he would let her. He needed to process everything that was going on.

The reasons explaining why he was the way he was were a little outlandish but he has no reason to not believe it. It did explain a lot though. Why his power was so uncontrollable, why his fox was so bloodthirsty, and the biggest thing, why Vandal Savage and the Time Masters were so interested in him. He could understand why Savage wanted him, for the power he could give him, but he still didn’t know how he found out about it in the first place. And then there’s the Time Masters, the bastards that betrayed him. He could only imagine what they would want with his power. This knowledge, knowing what he was and what he had to do to still be himself, it was horrifying. He didn’t even think that he has processed it properly yet. It still hasn’t set it.

He ran his fingers through his hair in attempt to calm himself but paused when his fingers trailed across his fox ears. He felt them twitch subconsciously. He wanted to pull away but a strange curiosity took over him. He hesitantly continued his exploration. This was the first time in over two decades that he has actually allowed himself to touch this part of him. His fingers moved across the long, thin ears and he was strangely reminded of rabbits. He felt a small smile grow at that thought. Being a rabbit would make much more sense than a fox. He wasn’t as strong as he would like people to believe. He dropped his hands from his ears. His thoughts had taken a dark turn and he didn’t want to think on that so he moved on.

The fur on his tails were much softer than he remembered. He has never consciously controlled his tails, they have just acted on instinct. When he tried to moved them, it was like he has always had control over them. He experimented with them, moving them one by one then in groups. He touched every one of them, trying to familiarize himself with them. What he has learned today will not affect him. He will make his stand and he will not allow himself to be afraid of what he was. No longer. They may think they have all the cards but he will use that against them.

“You know, it’s kind of interesting how you are taking all of this,”

He pulled his hands away from his tails and turned his attention back to the woman who had stopped pacing. He shrugged. “I’ve been through a lot. I’ve lost so much. I have been on the verge of losing control so many times. I’ve been kept out of the loop by so many people that I don’t know who to trust anymore. I guess it’s just nice knowing what’s going on. I guess I have you to thank for that. Or it just hasn’t set it yet,”

She gave him a smile and nodded. “You’re welcome. We need to help each other out or we will be taken advantage of. I knew you needed help the moment I felt your power.”

Portia wasn’t such a bad person. She was cautious, yes and a bit blunt but she was more honest with him than most people have been in his entire life. “I still need to thank you. You have given me the knowledge that I have been craving since I was a child. Nobody has given me any kind of help like this throughout my life, not even the people who raised me. They knew about me and they said nothing. If I had not met you, I would still be in the dark. so...thank you,”

“Like I said, no need for thanks.” She sat down again and sighed. “What do you plan on doing about the Bond?”

Wasn’t that the question of the year? He still could get his head around the nine Bond thing, much less what he had to do with Savage. “I don’t know,”

Portia sighed again. “You better decide soon because from what I can tell, you don’t have very long before that choice is taken from you,”

Her tone was serious which caused him to frown. “What do you mean?”

“I would guess that you have about two weeks before you either lose your mind or die,”

That was not the kind of news he wanted to hear. He was hoping for at least a month, which would be long enough to finally end Savage once and for all. But he didn’t even have half that time. He could feel the panic coming on but he pushed it down. This was not the time to be panicking. He would need to make his plan fast. They would just have to move quicker.

“I’ll deal with it when the time comes,”

The woman laughed bitterly. It seemed like that wasn’t the answer she was hoping for. “I don’t know what that guy did to you, but I have to hope that you will complete to Bond,”

He couldn’t stop the snarl from escaping him. “What? Why? That man has taken _everything_ from me, I will not-”

“You will have a higher chance of survival if you do,” She said it harshly, her words sharp. “I have not brought you here and given you the information that you needed just for you to go and throw your life away,”

“What does that mean?” It seemed like she had something in mind for him.

“I haven’t told you this but when one of your Bonded dies, it is like having your soul torn apart. It feels worse than dying,” Geez, thanks, Rip thought to himself but he knew that this had to be going somewhere. “but you can make it through it if you are stubborn enough. If you have more Bondmates, they can help you through it as well. You can survive,”

“So? Why are you telling me this?”

It seemed like Portia was getting tired of his attitude for she leaned forward with a snarl. It was rather impressive for such a small woman. Impressive enough that he flinched back. “Because if you Bond with this man, you can still kill him later. It will give you more time to do it as well.”

That sounded like one hell of a deal but the fact that he would still have to Bond with the one person he hated most in his life ever. But she had said that he could still kill him later. Bonding with the man would give him more time to finish what he has started. His head told him that it was a good idea, that he should do it to give them more time. But his heart was raging out of control. It was fighting against this more than ever.

“I thought you said that I would need nine people to make my power stable?”

“You do but once you have those nine Bonds, you power will have already dispersed to them.” The snarl had all but disappeared from her face and had been replaced with a more gentle look. “Having one die will probably be on of the worst things you will feel but with the help from your other Bondmates, you can live. I know that this is probably not what you want but it is the only way you will survive. If you choose not to bond, you _will_ die.”

“But Bonding gives me a chance?” He didn’t know what to think anymore. His mind was in so many different places. 

“Yes.”

He sighed but he knew that he couldn’t make a decision right now. His mind was too packed with information that he couldn’t choose right now. He need some time to process his thoughts and figure out his next move. 

“I...will see what happens. But for now, I have to take care of my team. I am sure that they are off causing who knows what kind of chaos.”

Portia smiled, as if she knew exactly how much trouble his team could cause. Maybe she saw it in his mind earlier. “You’re right. You have been here much too long. I will not hold you here any longer.”

He stood from his chair and willed his fox traits away. He didn’t really want to send them away but he wasn’t ready to show his team just yet. He shuddered as the power faded and the exhaustion came back. He shook slightly as he took his first step but steadied as he moved over to the woman who have given him so much. 

He bowed low to her. “Thank you for everything, Portia.”

“You are very welcome. But before you go, I have something for you,”

“You don’t have to,” He said as she moved away to the far room. He heard her rummaging around in the room before she came back out carrying a small box.

“No, but I want to. Here, I want you to have this,” She handed him the box. 

He opened the box, expecting maybe a weapon or something of the sort. He wasn’t expecting to see a necklace. The chain was obviously silver but what awed him was the silver orb that was hanging from the chain. He thought that it was just a normal pendant until he saw that the ‘silver’ was actually moving, shifting inside the glass orb. He looked up at Portia for an explanation.

“What you are holding is the very last of my magic.”

He looked up at her in confusion. “What? Why would you give me this?”

“I am old, so old. My Bondmates have all passed and I have nothing left to live for. I had hoped that I could help someone like me before it was my time.” She actually looked happy to accept her death. It was strangely sad but it wasn’t exactly his choice. “And I have. I have helped you, so I am ready. I am ready to die but I want to give you one more chance at survival. If the time comes where you have no way out, smash that orb. You will about ten seconds before it explodes. It will have the same amount of power as a stack of dynamite, so you need to get out of the way when you do smash it,”

Well, he was right on his first guess. It was a weapon, one that he could use in a tight spot. He lifted the necklace out of the box and placed it in his pocket. He gave Portia a smile. “Thank you.”

“Your welcome. Now you better get going before your friends cause any problems,”

He knew that there was nothing more to say so he gave her a bow again and walked away. He knew that she wasn’t planning on leaving this place alive, that she planned on dying withing the next few days. He wasn’t going to stop her. It was her choice and it was not in his right to try and change her mind. All that he could do was pray for her.

As he walked away, he couldn’t stop the few tears that escaped. He has learned so much from her and she has given him hope. Hope for a better future for him. She has helped him see that this mission was possible, that he could actually save his family. It was strange how close he had gotten with her is such little time. She almost felt like family to him and it hurt to walk away. But it was something he must do.

He turned back to gaze at the house. His heart was screaming at him to go back, but he turned away and forced himself to walk away.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rip and Jonah talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. I got really busy. I'm currently going through a testing process to see if I will move onto training for my dream job and that has taken up a lot of my time. I am back, probably for the next few weeks so you will get a chapter every week.
> 
> You guys will probably notice that I have used a lot of dialogue from the show in these next few chapters, mainly because I really liked this episode.

He had just settled into his office when he heard the notification that someone had boarded the ship. There were no alarms going off so he had to assume that it was his team. He had thought that they would have spent more time in town so that he could have some time to himself. Maybe they had gotten bored. Not likely with Ray and Martin out there, they could be there forever. Which probably left only one option. That they had started something in town that he was going to have to clean up. He hoped that they would leave him be so that he would actually have time to sort through his thoughts before he was thrown into whatever problem they had caused or found in this time.

He should have prayed harder.

A tap on the window to his office had him lifting his head. Ray and Jax had entered the room. But there was another man with them, his back to the window so he couldn’t see his face. He felt that feeling of _really?_ go through him.

“Oh for crying out loud,” He muttered. He stepped back from the table, ready to reprimand whoever it was that suggested bringing a stranger on board. He has told them again and again that strangers were not allowed on the Waverider, but does anyone listen to him? No, of course not. He saw them enter the room and he straightened up. It was time to be the captain again. He wouldn’t allow them to see how unstable he was feeling at the moment. “What is it about you people that whenever we go to a new time line you feel the need to pick up...strays,”

His words trailed off as their ‘guest’ stepped into view. He felt his heart freeze in his chest and his breath stop. _No...no_...there should be no way he could be here. He had thought that he would never see this hellhound again and here he comes just strutting onto his ship like he owns this place. The chances of that were astronomical and yet, here he was. That was just his luck.

“Nice.” The man drawled as he walked away from him. He didn’t pay him any mind which ticked him off but he couldn’t quite get his head around the fact that he was here. “I didn’t get to see it last time around,”

“Last time?” Ray questioned. He could hear the interest in his voice and wanted to roll his eyes. He knew that the man had a hard time reading the room but this was just ridiculous. This was not the conversation he wanted to have at the moment.

“A long story, which we will not be telling,” Rip moved forward, raising a hand to stop whatever questions Ray had. He needed to find out exactly why he was here and what he wanted before this went any further.

“My coat suits you good,” The way the man held himself, the way he acted, it was like he hadn’t changed at all in the past few years. In fact, he looked pretty good.

“What are you doing here Jonah?” He needed to know why he had popped up after all these years. He didn’t even know the man was even in the area when he had decided to hide out here. If he had known....he didn’t know what he would have done. He probably would have found somewhere else for them to stay. But knowing that he is here, on the ship, right now could only mean trouble both for his team and for himself.

The man still wouldn’t look at him as he strolled around the room. It was almost as if he couldn’t stand looking at him. It hurt but he knew that he deserved it for what happened the last time he was here. “Collecting on a bounty, wettin’ my whistle, when your friends here got into a lot of trouble,”

Rip could see Jax moving about beside him guiltily but he remained silent. The man didn’t seem too guilty about whatever it was that they did so he must feel justified in his actions. Or rather, who ever caused this trouble. He knew they would not be able to stay out of trouble for very long. It was like seemed to find them no matter where they go. He just hoped that it wouldn’t be too bad this time.

“We...might have gotten into a bar room brawl back in town,” Ray couldn’t even seem to look at him and Rip could see he was feeling more guilty than Jax.

“Well, that was _entirely_ predictable,” He groaned. Once, just once he would like to go to a time without gaining any attention.

“One of em poured led into a member of the Stillwater gang,” Jonah continued to talk as he walked around the room. Rip wished that the man would just look at him. He knew that they didn’t exactly part on the best of terms but they had been through a lot together and he deserved at least a hello.

Rip could not stop his sigh at the news. He placed a hand against the console and bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything too harsh. But he could not stop himself from speaking. “Mick?”

“Leonard, actually,” Ray did not seem to grasp how much trouble this was going to bring for he was sounding way too happy with himself. His guilt seemed to have vanished. He didn’t even seem bothered that there was a hellhound pacing around the room.

“Ah, that was going to be my next guess,” He could hear that his voice was getting slightly higher due to the fact that he was on the verge of anger. He had told them to behave. He had told them to stay out of trouble. They had promised him. And yet, here they were with a problem that could only get worse if they allowed themselves to get involved any more.

This is when Jax finally spoke up. “That guy tried to kill Martin. Leonard saved him.”

That would explain why the cheetah didn’t feel too guilty. His partner had been in danger and Leonard had saved him by shooting the gang member. He knew that the team would jump in the moment one of them was threatened but something had to had ticked the gang member off for him to get violent enough. But he didn’t want to know. The less he knew, the better.

Jonah finally turned to face Rip as he spoke, his red-brown eyes glinting dangerously at him. “And brought this town a whole lotta hell in the bargain. Those boys you were tradin’ hands with in the saloon, they all members of the Stillwater gang.”

“Why can a gang ever be a bunch of good guys?” Ray was still smiling. His tail was slowly swinging behind him and Rip wanted to reach out and smack him. This was not the time to make jokes.

Jonah sent the wolf a look, but continued on as if he didn’t speak. “Stillwater and his friends raided this town for the past three months. Stealin, robbin, killin.”

“Well, they’re going to have to go through us,” Ray seemed to think that this was some grand adventure that he needed to explore. He could not stand it anymore.

“No, he won’t. No doubt your little _ruckus_ has placed the time line at risk. To say nothing about potentially alerting the Hunters to our presence here,” He needed to get them to understand that this time was full of danger and if they go out there expecting to make a difference, they will be sadly disappointed. He knew because it was what happened the last time he was here. He had been expecting to make a difference and all he did was hurt the one person he had come to care about.

“Sounds like someone’s planning on busting out of town again?” He could hear the accusatory tone in Jonahs voice, and it hurt him. He knew why the man was angry at him but he couldn’t explain to him why he did the things he did. 

“Leaving already?”

He felt a little part inside give up at that voice. Just what he needed in this conversation. A trigger happy dragon.

“No, no,” Ray spoke with such determination that Rip almost believed that Ray was actually willing to risk bringing the Hunters here to save these people from something that had to happen. This wolf was too kind for this line of work. He believed that he would be able to save everyone. “This town has been terrorized by the Stillwater gang. And I aim to do something about it.”

“You aim to?” Mick sounded way too amused. “You’re getting native on us, Haircut,”

Ray glared at Mick before turning back to Rip. “Look, we signed onto this mission-”

“To stop Vandal Savage,” Rip empathized. He knew that Ray wanted to be a hero, for he felt the same way the last time he was here. But what happened last time has taught him that sometimes being a hero will cause more trouble that before. He knew that even if Ray causes more trouble, he won’t learn. Ray was just to kind hearted to allow people to get hurt.

“To be hero’s. And saving a town from a gang of marauding criminals, that is what hero’s do.” Ray was trying really hard to get Rip to agree with him but he knew that even if he didn’t agree, Ray would still go off and do it anyway.

Jonah chuckled. “Quite a posse of saints you riding along with nowadays.”

“We can handle the Stillwater gang,” The wolf was starting to sound a little desperate, and was looking at Jax for help. All he got was a shrug from the younger man.

“For time travellers, you guys don’t know much about the future. In the end, you will all leave.” Jonah sent a look his way and he knew what he was talking about. One of the biggest mistakes of his life, one that he knows he can’t change. “And Salvation will end up just like Calvert,”

“What’s a Calvert?” Mick asked, his brow furrowing.

“A closed matter. Can I speak to you in private, Jonah?” Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Jonah’s arm and pulled him into his office. He didn’t really know what he was going to say to him but he knew he had to say something. “Look, I am sorry that my team has caused you and the town trouble but we can not stay here for much longer,”

“Let me guess,” The man drawled as he pulled his arm out of his grip. The air was filled with his bitter anger and Rip couldn’t help but feel even worse. “You want to take you team and disappear? Just like the last time,”

He didn’t know how to explain what he had been going through at the time. He doubted that Jonah would even understand if he did explain. The Time Masters were a complicated group and he knew that if Jonah knew about them, about what they have done to him, then the hellhound might go on a warpath. The man had been very...protective in a way the last time he was here. It would be best to avoid that subject altogether. “Last time...was different. I want nothing more than to explain to you what happened all those years ago but I...”

“You just want to make excuses, which is what you are doing now to explain why you can’t help us now,” Jonah turned away from him again and it hurt him more than he had thought it would. He had been very close with the man when he had been here the first time.

When he had first arrived in Calvert, he was on his first mission as the captain of his own ship. It may have only been a few years for Jonah but it has been over ten years for him. His mission had been to make sure one man didn’t get into the hands of a gang that had been terrorizing the towns of this area. Seemed simple enough but that man was very much like this team, finding trouble wherever he went. He was about to pull his hair out with how frustrating this man was, but he was very intent on proving to the higher ups that he could do his job. He had to keep pulling him out of fights and stopping people from knocking him on his ass. It was extra hard when he couldn’t tell the man who he was, which had man the man even more suspicious of him.

After about a week of trying fruitlessly trying to get the man to listen to him, Jonah showed up in town. Riding in on a tall black horse, armed to the teeth, he made people move out of his way with just a look. It wasn’t like he could blamed them. There was no one in their right mind that would willingly take on a hellhound. Even with his own power, he would be hesitant to do so. Everyone seemed to know who he was. Rip had wanted to avoid him but his target was not exactly the brightest and seemed to want to pick a fight with the man. He had no other option but to jump in between the two to break up the fight. Apparently, Jonah had been chasing the man’s bounty and wanted to take him in. Rip had one hell of a time trying to convince him not to. He even had to reveal who he was and why he was there. Jonah hadn’t believed him at first. Who would? He agreed to help keep the man alive for a while and the two of them got close. Real close. After he had completed his mission, he had stayed for a few more weeks, just so that he could be with the man, even after the council had ordered him to return.

He was feeling that connection now when he was standing only a few feet from the man. He wanted nothing more than to bury his face in the mans neck and breath in his scent. In the past, it had helped him sleep, calmed his mind so that he could think of their next move. But he felt like he didn’t deserve any of that comfort right now. He didn’t deserve any of his love after what he has done.

“I’m sorry Jonah,” He was sure that his voice cracked but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He moved over to his desk and leaned against it. He didn’t know if he would be able to keep standing if this conversation went any further. “I didn’t mean for it to turn out the way it did. I just...I didn’t have any other choice,”

He heard Jonah sigh and saw him move over to him. He sat down next to him, close enough that they were pressed against each other. He shivered at the feeling, the memory of before so fresh in his mind now. He _missed_ Jonah so, so much. He didn’t even know how much until he had set eyes on the man again.

“I have no idea what you’ve been up to these last few years,” The man spoke slow, with that drawl that Rip loved so much. “But hell man, I have missed you,”

There was a pain growing in his chest from how close this man was to him. A long time ago, he had actually believed that he was in love with the man. He had been dating Miranda at that time and had thought that he would have been unfaithful if he had allowed himself to be with the man. That was before his wife had told him that she didn’t mind sharing. Before he knew that she believed that he deserved more. And now that he was sitting side by side with the man, he knew that he was. He loved Jonah Hex.

“I missed you too,” He murmured. He couldn’t stop himself from leaning over and placing his head on the man’s shoulder. His smell filled his nose and he leaned closer so that his nose brushed against the man’s neck. “It’s been so long,”

“Yeah it has,” Jonah brought his arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. The older mans long, whip like tail wrapped around his waist. He felt the older man place his head on his, taking in his scent. He could feel the man’s breath in his hair and he felt at home. Which was a bit strange, considering the fact that the man he was cuddling with was a hellhound. 

They sat there for a moment, just enjoying being back together. It had killed him when he had to leave. It was like ripping out a part of his soul. He left behind the chance of happiness with Jonah, for one with Miranda. He had thought that he might be able to come back later but the punishment he received for disobeying the time councils orders when they had ordered him home and he had stayed was extreme to say the least. He didn’t want to go back and feel that pull again, the pull to never leave. He didn’t want to go through that punishment again. He knew that if he went back, he might not want to leave again. And the Time Masters would send people after him. Jonah might have gotten caught in the crossfire and he didn’t want that. So he didn’t come back.

“Where’ve you been these last few years, Rip?”

“Oh, here and there,” He sighed. He had so many regrets with Jonah that he wasn’t even sure he deserved to be this close with him. He had kept things from him, things that could have saved a lot of people. This time period...it offered a lot of chances, a lot of possibilities for him to save people. Except, he couldn’t. The Time Masters did not sanction him to rescue anyone but his target. Normally he would just do as he told but the...pull to help people was so strong in this time.

“There ya go again, avoiding the question. You’re good at that,” Jonah chuckled, sending vibrations through him. It was good to hear him laugh again.

Being here next to the only other person beside his family that he has ever loved, it was...freeing in a way. He could feel his mind calming just by being next to him. They used to do this back when they first met. Even though Jonah couldn’t see what he was, he could still feel that they were similar. It made things easier between them and made it easier for Rip to trust him. The more they worked together, the closer they got. Which was why he decided that he would never purposely put the man in danger.

“Sorry. I can’t really tell you. It would-”

“Mess up the time line, yes yes I know. You kept saying that when you were here the first time,” Jonah didn’t seem all too upset that he wasn’t ready to share. He must have been expecting this. Or he was so used to him doing this that he just didn’t care anymore. “Movin’ on then. You have some pretty interestin’ friends.”

Rip laughed. He knew that Jonah wasn’t the most judgmental person but for him to say that like he was dealing with a group of children. He couldn’t seem to stop the giggles that escaped. He felt Jonah start to laugh along side him. He must have known what he was thinking. He was always good at reading him.

“That is putting it very mildly,” He managed to get out as the giggles faded for a moment. They almost started up again but he took a breath to calm himself before it could.

“They ones to find trouble?”

He was just asking the obvious questions. He probably already knew the truth. After all, he did rescue them from the brawl earlier. “All the time,”

Jonah chuckled. “Sounds exhaustin.”

“Believe me, it is. It is so hard to keep track of them when they like wander off,” He laughed again but grew serious after a moment. He knew that he had to do some peace keeping between them and the town but he wasn’t sure how to do it. “But they are good people. They mean well, it’s just the way they do things is a little...extreme,”

Jonah chuckled again. He seemed way too amused at his situation. “That might be sayin somethin.”

They fell into a comfortable silence for a few more minutes but he knew that this couldn’t last. The others were probably waiting for him, maybe even eavesdropping, so that means that they needed make a decision. And quick. He had hoped that the trouble they would cause would be small, and simple to deal with. The Stillwater gang was anything but simple. They were, or rather are, one of the biggest gangs of this time. He had no idea how they were going to deal with it. Or rather, how his team would deal with it. He couldn’t live this ship or else he might not want to leave again. If he allowed himself even a tiny taste of this era, he might never leave again. Normally, he wouldn’t care since he is no longer a Time Master, but he has a mission to do. He has to kill Savage for good, save his family and end the Time Council. He needed to be careful to prevent himself from getting too attached again.

“We need to figure out what to do about this,” He didn’t move from the comfort that Jonah was providing him but he knew that he couldn’t stay. So he would appreciate it while he could.

“’Bout what? The gang that is terrorizing the town? Yeah, I’d say so darlin,”

The way that he said that term of endearment made a shiver go down his spine. They have never had sex, but there was a moment where they almost did. Where he was ready to give in and allow himself a little love. He had finally accepted that maybe he should allow himself a little freedom, but it was interrupted by a call from his bosses and he was brought to his senses. He forced himself away and it hurt so much. He left Calvert only a few days later without telling Jonah how he felt. How he still felt. Though, he wasn’t sure he had to say anything. Jonah has always been perceptive of his feelings.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he brought himself back to the problem at hand. “I don’t want to bring any more trouble to this town by staying here-”

“You want to leave this town after your people caused more trouble?” Jonah pushed himself away and stood. He turned to glare at him. He could feel himself shrink under that gaze. “You want to leave all these people to die like you did in Calvert?”

“You didn’t let me finish,” He said as calmly as he could. He could understand why the man was so angry but he wasn’t going to let that happen again. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. “I want to help this town but what will happen if we just make it worse? Hmm? My friends mean good but more often than not, they cause more harm than good,”

“Then maybe you should not have let them leave this ship,” Jonah’s anger filled the room, making him feel worse about this entire situation. He has never really seen Jonah get angry. At least, not like this.

“You know what would happen if I did that?” He knew that it was never a good idea to cage these people in. To prevent them their space. He would never take their free will away, even if it caused some trouble. “They would grow agitated and eventually find their own way off the ship. Then they would have been in town while irritated and angry and that would have caused even more trouble. This may be our fault but do you really want our help when it could get so much worse?”

“At least that would be better than leaving everyone to die!” The man snarled, taking a step toward him so that he was looking down on him. His eyes had taken on a deadly red glow and Rip could feel his dark magic filling the air. Never let it be said that Jonah Hex couldn’t scare the crap out anyone. He looked like the very embodiment of a hellhound, and if Rip was to be honest, it terrified him. He knew that Jonah would never hurt him, but he also knew that he was not going to hesitate to try and scare some sense into him. He’s tried it in the past with differing results each time.

“Jonah,” He sighed but he flinched when the cowboy reached out, grabbed his jacket and pulled him close.

“I will not let you leave while those people are in danger. You _will_ help them,”

“I never said that I wouldn’t,” He growled back at the man. He pushed his hands off his jacket and stalked around the room. He paced as he slowly calmed himself. “I want to help these people and we will. I just wanted to let you know the consequences of allowing my team to help,”

“And I understand the consequences of it and I am willin to take that risk,” It seemed like Jonahs anger had subsided as well. He must have known that he didn’t need to scare him into helping the town. Either that or he knew that Rip was going to help anyway.

“Fine, but do not say I didn’t tell you when things go wrong,” He turned to walk back into the bridge to inform the team but a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back. 

He was expecting a punch or something of the like for putting the man through this, but instead he found himself being pulled forward so that Jonah could run his cheek against the side of his head, in his hair. He used to do this when they were together the first time. Rip had assumed it was a way that Jonah expressed his feelings and a way to comfort himself. He wouldn’t kiss him but he would do this all the time. It reminded him strangely of an Eskimo kiss, and it always made him feel loved. It was strange but he wasn’t going to argue with his feelings.

“I really did miss ya, Rip Hunter,” Jonah murmured softly.

“I missed you too, Jonah Hex,” He returned the gesture. The man’s hair was rough and a little dirty but he didn’t mind. “Now, let’s go inform the team what’s going to happen, and make a plan.”


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter. I will try to post another next week but no promises.
> 
> And thank you to all that have commented, and left kudos. It encourages me to write more.

The team was gathered in the bridge, each one expressing a grim look. He should have known that this was going to happen. He _knew_ that something like this would happen if they stayed. He had warned Jonah that it might and they still went ahead with it. And now, they have just made it worse. Ray had taken over as the towns sheriff, Kendra, Sara, and Carter had disappeared somewhere, Martin had introduced a futuristic cure to a sick kid and potentially affecting the future and then there was a massive fight with the Stillwater gang. They had Stillwater but they lost Jax. The kid had been taken by members of the gang and they were offering a trade. Rip was half tempted to take it but he knew the consequences if he allowed it to happen. But once again, Jax was in trouble because of his actions. It would not have happen this way if he had gone with them. He should have been with them.

“Where is Stillwater?” Martin asked, all of his body language was screaming fear and worry. It was filling the room, and he wasn’t the only one. Everyone was leaking some kind of worry and he was having a hard time blocking it out. The rabbit was leaning against the console, looking very upset but trying to keep it together. The others were splayed around the room, including Jonah, who was leaning against the far wall. All of their emotions were high, making his mind a little fuzzy.

“Knocked out cold in the med bay,” Ray walked around the man and stopped on the other side of the console. He didn’t seem as happy as he was before. Rip didn’t blame him. The man probably thought that this was his fault.

“Well, this is a simple matter. We trade Stillwater for Jefferson as Mr. Hex suggested,” Martin seemed to be almost pleading with them to make the trade. Rip knew that it was a very bad idea for that to happen but he couldn’t blame the man for wanting to do it. He was worried about his partner. They all were.

It seemed like Ray was thinking like he was, which was surprising. “It’s not that simple. If we release Stillwater, we are back to square one and the town is still in danger,”

“So is the kid,” Leonard spoke, and sounded rather angry with Ray. Like he was upset that the man wasn’t thinking about Jax, that he wasn’t putting this team first. He was probably thinking that they should get Jax and get out of here. Leonard was always one for self preservation. It was one of the many things he liked about the man.

“And we will find a way to get him back without releasing Stillwater.” Ray was speaking as if he was the one in charge but Rip could tell that he was scared. Scared and unsure of his next move. Rip knew that Ray has never had to be in charge quite like this before. He knew that he should help the man but his mind was coming up blank on ways to get them all out of this alive without allowing himself to delve into the darker parts of his mind. Thankfully, he didn’t need to mention anything like that.

“I gotta notion,” Jonah’s rough voice echoed through the room, turning everyone’s attention to him. He seemed the calmest out of all of them. He always was, no matter the situation. Jonah could be staring down the barrel of a gun and still be calm. “Set up a quick draw. You win, you get your guy back. You lose, you set Stillwater free,”

“And by lose, you mean...” Martin couldn’t even seem to say it. His fear spiked and Rip shivered at the strange protectiveness that rose in him. His family was hurting and the men that are doing it are walking around outside. He could not allow that to happen, even if he had to tear the whole town apart to protect them, he would do it.

Taking a breath to calm the raging fox inside, he turned his attention back to the group who all seemed to be getting even more upset.

Leonard had no problem saying what Martin could not. “Getting shot and killed,”

“Oh, great,” Martin threw up his hands. “Pistols at high noon,”

“Finally, someone talking sense,” Mick was fiddling with his gun in the corner of the room. He didn’t even look up as he spoke. He had remained quite this entire time and Rip wondered if there might be something wrong with him. He doubted that he would say, even if there was.

He couldn’t have the man become unstable now, not when he was needed. He reached out slightly with his power towards the man. The moment his power connected with the dragon, a feeling of...rightness filled him. Like his instincts were trying to say that Mick was right for him. His mind went to what Portia had said, that his fox side was looking for strong mates to stabilize his power. Mick was powerful, he knew that already but it seemed like his instincts were telling him that he would be a perfect Bondmate for him. He couldn’t though because he didn’t want to destroy what he was trying to fix with Leonard and Sara. They are obviously happy together and he wasn’t going to ruin that. He wasn’t worth it. So he ignored that feeling and tried to get a read on the mans emotions.

Focusing more on the present, he felt Micks worry, and his irritation but nothing was telling him that the man was going to lose control. Satisfied, he turned back to the group.

“There has to be another way, a better way,” Rip could tell that Martin was starting to get hysterical and wanted nothing more than to go over to him and reassure him that everything will be fine. He didn’t though because he had a feeling that it wouldn’t help much for Jax was still gone.

“Sure,” Jonah had stepped away from the wall and was walking towards the group. “Go after Stillwater without your gear from the future. I don’t know how that will sit with your captain,”

He gave Rip a look that almost had him rolling his eyes. To him, that idea sounded like a very bad idea. Jonah knew how he would feel about that for they had discussed this the last time he was here. It felt like the man was testing him, to see how far he would go for his team. But he wasn’t about to put the timeline at risk because of this. “Hmm, let’s assume that it’s a bad idea,”

“So who’s standing in the middle of main street?” Mick asked, finally lifting his head to look at the rest of them. He looked like he wasn’t going to volunteer any time soon, but Rip knew that if the time came and there was no one else, he would do it. Same old Mick. Showing little positive emotions but really caring more than anyone can tell.

And of course, the most selfless person had to volunteer. Ray stepped forward, looking terrified but determined. “I’ll do it,”

“Raymond, now is not the time to indulge your cowboy fantasies,” Martin tried to reason with the man. He probably knew that the man would lose before he even got a chance to pull his gun. He was sure everyone knew that the wolf would not last long against Stillwater.

“No one else is stepping forward,” The wolf shrugged. He looked around the room, back straightened, ears and tail high. He looked like a proper alpha wolf. “Plus, I’m a decent shot. At least I was with an air rifle.”

Rip could not believe they were actually talking about this, or even contemplating going against Stillwater. That man was one of the more powerful people in this time. At least, in this area. There was a reason he was able to get away with his crimes. Because people were too afraid to go against him. He turned away from the group and stalked to his office. He leaned close to Jonah as he passed him. “I can’t believe that you are encouraging this,”

He could feel Jonah follow him into his office and he knew that there was going to be a disagreement between them. There normally was. They may have been close but they also clashed time and time again when it came to stuff like this. He just hoped that it wouldn’t get too bad for he knew that they would have an audience.

“You know this is the only way,”

Rip could not stop his anger from showing. He snarled lightly, resisting the urge to lash out. His anger had only seemed to get stronger the longer they stayed here and he knew why. What Portia had told him, has made his mind a confused and angry mess. He has shoved all of those thoughts down so that he could deal with this mess but he was having a hard time focusing on it. So he placed a thought at the forefront of his mind that would override anything else. The need to protect his team. “Doctor Palmer is going to get himself killed.”

“I think you forfeited your right to an opinion when you have refused to leave the ship since we’ve been here,” Ray was glaring at him as he followed Jonah into his office. The others seemed to think that it was a good idea as well and soon they filled the doorway. He felt cornered and he could feel his body tensing.

“I had good reason,” He tried to explain.

“Because of Calvert?” Martin sent him a look and he sighed. He should have known they would figure it out. He was sure that Gideon would have filled them in if they had asked. He couldn’t blame her for he hadn’t told her not to. He was kind of glad that they had found out on their own so that he would not have to explain himself.

But they were right, in a way. He didn’t want to leave the ship because he knew he would get too attached again. “Yes, but not for the reasons you think. Leaving Calvert, leaving this...era was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do,”

“And why is that captain?” Leonard drawled, a smirk on his lips. It always seemed like the man was either teasing him or testing him. Right now, it appeared to be both.

He didn’t want to talk about it. But he knew he had no other choice if he wanted to get them to trust him. He wanted them to trust him and he wanted to trust them. Opening up to them would be a good starting point. “A Time Master is trained to do his work without interference, which means not helping people or being a hero. But as you’ve seen Ray, this era offers many opportunities for heroism. I found it...enticing.”

“But you still managed to leave,” Jonah sounded rather upset, which broke his heart. He had not been thinking about how he would think when he left. It must have hurt him just as much. He had not wanted to cause him pain but he had no choice back then. The Council had kept him on a short leash during his first few years as a captain. Jonah stalked towards him, a contemplative look on his face. “Somethin’s been botherin me all these years. If you’d have known what Turnbow was gonna to do to Calvert, would you have left?”

He knew this was coming. He knew that he could not hide this for much longer. Jonah was not stupid and it was only a matter of time before he finally asked the question. He had just hoped that it would be the two of them, not the whole team. Now he would have to share his failure with all of them. What happened with Calvert is one of the two failures in his life that he regretted more than anything. The other was the fact that he could not save his family. 

He turned to face Jonah. “That’s the thing Jonah. I did know.”

The punch came too quick for him to track, but completely expected. Pain blossomed across his face at the strength behind it. The man definitely did not hold much back. He ended up falling back into his office chair with a grunt. Jonah approached him and he made himself smaller so that Jonah might have some mercy on him. “I deserved that,”

Jonah was radiating anger, eyes glowing bright red and magic filling the air. He pointed a finger at him. “You deserve a lot worse. You knew and you still left?”

“Of course I knew. I was a Time Master, and there lie in the problem. Like Raymond, and Martin I felt the pull of heroism. And this era is rife with opportunities to make a difference. That is one of things that called to me and that is why I _had_ to leave. Because had I stayed, I would no longer be able to remain a Time Master.” He hurried to get his words out. It hurt him to admit it and he knew that it will never be enough to excuse what he has done. At the time, he had believed that being a Time Master was the highest honour. Now, that wasn’t the case. He owed no one his loyalty but this team. He and Jonah shared a look. He knew that he hurt Jonah, but he didn’t know how to make it better except to step up and fix this problem. “But I am no longer a Time Master. Which is why I’ll face Stillwater.”

“Wait, I said that I would do it,” Ray stepped forward, frown on his face.

“And get yourself shot and killed? It’s appreciated but I rather you stay alive,” He didn’t add that he didn’t think that the man would be able to do it. Instead, he turned back to Jonah. “Send word to Stillwaters posse. I believe high noon is in less than three hours.”

“So what? You just go out there with pistols and hope you don’t die?” Leonard was trying to put himself off and uncaring, but Rip could feel the worry in the air. Everyone seemed to be worrying about him. It was nice but he has done this before and he was still standing.

“It’s not quite that simple neither.” Jonah paced back into the bridge. He gave Rip a look that made him worry. “Stillwater is a Mythical type and will want to use magic in the quick draw instead of a gun. You can chose to fight and use a gun if you wish but it won’t stand up against his magic.”

That raised a lot of problems, but nothing he really wasn’t expecting. From what he has read up on Stillwater, he had a flair for the dramatic. There was only one thing he was worried about. Mainly that there could be collateral damage if this fight got out of control. But if he was telling the truth, there was only one option for them. And that was to let him do it. He wasn’t happy about it but this was the only way they would get Jax back in one piece.

He shrugged, trying to appear calm for the team. “Then I’ll use my magic. Should be strong enough.”

His comment seemed to shock everyone. They all looked around at each other, as if they couldn’t believe he had just said that. The silence that surrounded them was filled with uncertainty, unease and a little eagerness. He was sure some of them were actually interested in see this part of himself. Though if what Portia had said was true, they would be seeing a lot more of it and soon if he couldn’t find a solution to his problem.

“But..Rip, uhh,” It was Ray who spoke first. He shifted on his feet uneasily. “Do you...know how? I mean, we’ve never actually seen you use it. In any way,”

Rip first thought that the man was just worried for him, but when he reached out with his power he could tell that they all were worried _about_ him. Whether or not he would be able to control it. And to be honest, he didn’t know if he would have complete control over it. The last few times he had enough control to use his abilities without going into a Berserk mode but not enough control to rid himself of the bloodlust. But he didn’t have a choice. He needed to help Jax. He had promised himself that he would never allow anyone to hurt him again.

“I can control it enough to win this,” He said it with as much confidence as he could.

“Are you sure? I mean, I can do it if you don’t want to,” Ray seemed to be trying to get him to agree with him. To allow a simple wolf to go against a mythical type with magic. No. Too many of his team have been hurt because of his actions. Or rather, his inaction. It was time for him to take responsibility.

“No. I said I would do it and I will. You stand no chance against him with the kind of power he has. He’s a Djinn, which is basically a being of pure magic. A normal wolf stands no chance.” He saw the look on Ray’s face, hurt and dejected, and moved over to his side. He placed his hands on the mans upper arms. “Thank you for being concerned but I...I can control it. I may have used it a few times in the past few weeks and have gotten better at it.”

This caused several people to frown, even eye him with disbelief. Ray tilted his head to the side in confusion. “I’ve never seen you use it,”

He shrugged. He hoped that they could move past this subject quickly. “No one was really...around when I did. It’s still not completely in control of it but for this, I should be able to do it,”

“You _should_ be able to do it?” Leonard’s voice sounded harsh and he was glaring at him. “If you’re not sure, than you shouldn’t do it. We don’t need an out of control captain in a town like that,”

“I won’t lose control. And I would never hurt an innocent person,” He shook his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand why they were concerned but he could handle this. He has been in situations much worse than this before and have come out of it in one piece. Mostly. “Look, the only two people who can do this is me or Mick. Are you willing to put you partners life at risk for this?”

He could already see the answer on the leopards face. He knew that the leopard would not put Mick in danger when he has just gotten him back. Mick made a noise behind them, murmuring something along the lines of ‘I’m right here’. They both ignored him.

“Yeah, I thought so. I can handle this. Anyone else got any concerns?” No one spoke up. He nodded. “Okay then. Jonah, will you send word to the gang?”

All he got was a nod before the man was making his way off the ship. He wasn’t worried about him. Jonah knew how to take care of himself. He needed to prepare for this duel.

He shooed the rest of the team away so that he could spend the next two hours preparing for the worst. He set up some protocols in case something happened to him. It wasn’t that he was unsure about his own power, just Stillwater’s. A Djinn’s power can range from nothing to nuclear bomb. And they are very good at hiding their true power so he had no idea how much his opponent had until they were standing across from each other in the middle of a duel. It wasn’t that he was scared, more...cautious.

“Have you gone insane?”

Rip looked up to see Sara standing in the doorway. It seemed like she and the other two had returned from where ever it was that they had disappeared to. She didn’t seem very happy to see him though.

“I’m sorry?”

Sara stalked forward, her anger filling the small room. “Len told me what happened. Told me what you plan on doing. So I ask again, are you insane?”

He knew that he would never be able to explain what was going on inside his mind. He could barely understand it. He has not had a quiet moment to himself whee he could sit down and just process. What Portia has told him was ringing through his head over and over and he had to constantly push it down so he could focus on the current problems. He would have to wait until he finished this fight before he could figure out what to do about it.

“It’s the only way to get Jax back. And I promised him...” He sighed. He placed the papers down on the desk and moved over to Sara. “I promised him that I would never let anyone else hurt him after what happened in the hospital. I will not allow that to happen again,”

Sara sighed. “I understand that but doing this? Taking on a Djinn with unknown power? We all know that you are a Mythical type with some pretty powerful magic but are you sure you can handle it? How can you be sure that your power will stand up to it?”

Portia’s words of having unlimited power while unbonded echoed through his head. He would have the power to defeat Stillwater but he might not have the control to use it. Though, the last few times he has used it have been easier. Maybe it was because he was getting used to it, or maybe it had something to do with the half formed Bond between him and Savage. Either way, he knew that it would be difficult. He knew that he could not mess this up or people would die, including himself.

“Honestly? I don’t know but Ray was going to do it and he has no magic. It’s better if I do than him,” A beep pulled his attention down to his watch and he sighed. “It’s time. Look, I know that you might not have faith in my power but please, have faith in me.”

She nodded, but didn’t look very happy about it. “Okay. Just promise that you will be careful. You are a part of this family too,”

He gave her a small smile. “I’ll do my best,”


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smell of copper filled his nose, making his inner fox growl in satisfaction. Another enemy down, another one out of the way. One less person gunning for his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After such a long delay in updating, I have come with another chapter. To make up for being so late, I have made this chapter extra long. I will try to do better in the future.

The whole town seemed to have come out to watch this showdown. He wasn’t sure he liked that idea. He didn’t even know how they all found out but it wasn’t like he could make them all go away. He tried to ignore them. They were not important right now. He had Leonard bring Stillwater to the sheriffs station earlier so that they wouldn’t have to deal with the questions about where he was coming from. Plus, he really didn’t want the man to accidentally wake up and see the ship. That would cause a lot of problems and they didn’t need anymore problems right now. He already had too many to count. He wanted to sort out this problem right now so that he could move on to the other horrible situations in his life.

A commotion on the other side of the town brought everyone’s attention to a group of men on horseback. Stillwaters people. He straightened his back and walked to the center of town. He kept his face blank, displaying nothing but his determination. Ray was by his side and looked nervous as hell but trying to put on a brave face. If this was any other time, Rip would have thought it to be cute. He pushed that thought out of his mind. He couldn’t afford any kind of distraction right now.

The men stopped a good distance away and climbed off their horses. Rip saw Jax in the back, yanked off his own horse. He had to grit his teeth to prevent himself from doing something stupid. He would make them pay for the way they treated his youngest team member. He would just have to have patience. Leonard came out of the sheriffs station dragging Stillwater beside him. He cut the ropes holding the man and walked away. He didn’t bother offering the man a gun. He wouldn’t need it.

“I’ll be shooting for Sheriff Palmer,” He announced to the group in front of him.

“Shouldn’t he be shooten? I won’t take on someone who has no power,” Stillwater sneered at him. His men chuckled with the man. Rip was going to enjoy kicking his ass. He was going to enjoy watching him die.

“Sheriff Palmer has no magic. But I do. I will take you on.” He gave Ray a look and gestured his head to the rest of the team that was standing off to the side. Ray tried to protest once again but shut up and moved once he saw the look on his face. Or rather, the golden glow in his captains eyes.

Rip turned his attention back to Stillwater, and steeled himself for what was about to happen. He wasn’t exactly nervous but he knew that he had to take this seriously or he could mess up big time. He could lose control over his power so easily but he also knew that he could be underestimating Stillwater. They were so many possibilities and so many endings to this that he needed to be careful. The tension was thick in the air and he was ready for it. His eyes tracked the other mans every move, every shift in his muscles. It might not show in his outward appearance, but Rip had stretched out his powers so that he would not miss a single detail. He couldn’t afford to miss anything.

He felt the rise in power before he saw it. Dark red magic poured off the man and Rip knew then that this man was on the more powerful side of Djinn’s. He had to admit that it was pretty impressive but he would not allow it to deter him. He was going to win this. For Jax. For this team. He let his own magic out, just enough to protect himself from a sudden attack but not enough to be physically seen yet. He didn’t want to give away all his tricks yet. Stillwaters magic overrode his so he doubted that anyone could feel his. Everyone seemed to be terrified of the man, backing away and sending him pitying looks. He appreciated their concern but he didn’t need it. He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t worried.

He was _excited_.

He saw Stillwater move first and he let him. He could have killed the man before he even thought about it. He could have finished it before it even started. But he didn’t. He wanted the man afraid when he killed him. He wanted him, and everyone else, know that nobody gets away with hurting his family. He wanted to show Jax and the rest of his team that he would kill for them.

The attack that came towards him was full of power and if he was anyone else, it would have killed him. Except he was ready for it. Right before the power hit him, he raised his own power. He knew that he couldn’t deflect the power or it could reflect and hurt the bystanders, including his team. He wouldn’t allow it. So he did the next best thing. He neutralized it by matching the amount of power right as it hit him. It was a little difficult to judge the amount of power in such a short amount of time but his instincts told him how much to use. The dark magic hit a thin gold wall with explosive power. Dust and magical smoke surrounded him, 

He could hear Stillwater and his friends laughing in the distance. They must believe that they won. They probably believed that he was nothing more than a smear on the ground. After all, what could stand up to that kind of power? He pushed his mind out towards his team to discover that many of them were feeling the creeping horror, believing that the outlaw had actually won. But he was sure that he could actually feel some kind of...anticipation from a few of them. It seems like a few of them still had even a little faith in him. Little did they know that his kind would not be so easily killed. They wouldn’t be so lucky to rid of him like that. It was his turn and they would pay for hurting his family.

He had been afraid of hurting the people around him but he knew that he could not allow this mans transgressions to stand. He would just have to limit his powers use. That didn’t mean that he couldn’t scare the man some. He always did enjoy the smell of his enemies fear. How some of them tried to hide it through tough words and aggressive actions. It was truly amusing when he showed them exactly who was more powerful. He released all the power he could, even allowed some of his Animalis out. Everything but his ears and tails were let out, just enough to give the people around him an idea of what was standing among them. He flicked his tongue over his sharpened canines in excitement. His magic swirled around him blowing the dust away.

The laughing died down when people realized that he was still standing. Most of them were either staring at him in shock or fear. He heard a few gasps of shock from some of the bystanders, including some of his team. He ignored them and turned his gold eyes on to Stillwater. He grinned, sharp and nasty.

“You call _that_ power?” He laughed, trailing off into a small snarl.

“What?” Stillwater was actually looking a little freaked out. Scared even. Good. Maybe now he was starting to realize just how much he fucked up. “How?”

He didn’t want to waste time explaining something to a man like that. He doubted that the man would understand that there are beings stronger than him in the world. For the last few years, this man was able to do whatever he wanted because there was no one strong enough to kill him. He has gotten too comfortable with his power. It was about time someone showed him his place. He could feel that everyone was shocked, and still uncertain as to what had just happened. He was sure that all of them could feel his magic now and could tell that Stillwater had never stood a chance. 

He wanted to flaunt his power some more to show off a little, but also to scare the man until he was begging for mercy but at the corner of his consciousness, he felt... _something_. Something that was on it’s way here that was more concerning than the man in front of him. He needed to finish this quick so that he could deal with whatever was coming his way.

He raised his right hand and made a simple gun form, like the way he and Jonas would when they were playing cowboys together. He found it ironic, a little childish for him to do it this way but it felt right to him. It was just another way for him to taunt the man. He pointed at Stillwater and pulled the ‘trigger’. A thin bolt of golden magic shot towards the other man, who tried to raise a magical shield to protect himself. Too bad it didn’t work. The moment the golden bolt touched the shield, it shattered and continued it’s way until it hit the man’s heart. He fell backwards and was dead before he hit the ground.

The crowd was silent for a moment, shocked at how it ended. Rip knew that most of them were not even rooting for him when it started. They probably thought that some no name man with no Animalis to show for it stood no chance against a Djinn. A Djinn that no one has been able to stop for the past few years. How wrong they were. Rip felt his power still flowing out of him but didn’t bother suppressing it. He could feel that something else was coming and he wanted to be ready for it. He could see the gang release Jax, who stumbled over to him with a look of awe on his face. The fox inside him grumbled happily when Jax was standing by his side again.

“Dude, did you just kill a guy for me?”

He sounded so shocked at that. Like he didn’t think that Rip would kill for him. He’s done it before, and he would do it again. For any of his family, he would kill and die for them. They might not think that he cared enough to do so for them, but he would. He smiled at the young man, though he made sure not to scare him too much with the razor sharp teeth that filled his mouth. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve killed for this team,” 

“Really? Huh,” Jax hummed. “Well, thanks I guess.”

He chuckled at how shocked the man still was. It hurt a little to know that they had so little faith in his ability to protect them. He was sure though that after today, they will not doubt his ability to keep them safe. “You’re welcome, Jax.”

“Guys, when you are done thanking each other, we got bigger issues,” Leonard called from behind them. 

Rip turned to see three men walking towards them and he instinctively knew who they were. He knew that this hiding spot wouldn’t last long, especially when they were causing such a fuss. He knew that the Hunters would find them soon enough but he didn’t want it to be this soon. Nothing he could do about it now though except fight. It was a good thing that he was ready for it. And craving it. The ‘fight’ with Stillwater hadn’t been enough to curb his craving for bloodshed. Not even close. He now had the chance to let go and fight for real. He now had the chance to prove to his team that he was worthy of them. He sent a toothy grin at the others over his shoulder.

“Party time boys and girls,” 

He got strange looks from that but he didn’t mind. His power was making him a little too eager for the fight. Or rather, for the bloodshed that would no doubt come with it. He wanted to let off some steam and his fox side seemed to think that fighting would do that for him. He needed to work out his anger, his confusion and stress. And killing the people who were trying to harm his family would be a good start. The others had seen his magic so he wouldn’t even need to hold back all that much. And it was a good thing because what he was feeling was not good. It felt like his power was just going to keep growing until he was over come with it. He needed this fight to get rid of the excess power and maybe that will help his mind become calmer.

Turning his attention to the three men coming their way, taking in all the details that he could. The one on the right was a simple gryphon, lion and owl hybrid if he was guessing right. Not much magic but a lot of physical strength. He would leave that one for the others. They should be able to handle him just fine. The one on the left was a dragon like Mick, except he was a navy blue dragon, not red. Dragons were one of the few species that had differing personality traits based on colour schemes. The darker the colour, the more they tended towards evil. Red dragons were somewhere in middle of neutral and chaotic. Explains Mick quite a bit.

The middle man was the one he was most concerned with. He was something called a Leviathan. They were much like dragons but much older. They don’t have wings, but they do have deadly breaths like dragons. They were scaled like dragons but theirs were much thicker and were resistant to all sorts of magic. They normally occupied the oceans, and mountains rather than the sky. He’s never seen another of his kind they were so rare. But they were also very powerful for they had both powerful magic and powerful physical strength. He would have to let it all out if he wanted to win against him. There was no way that anyone on his team would be able to handle him. He would have to handle it himself.

“Let’s go,” He growled and moved forward. He could not pay much attention to his family when he had the Leviathan to take care of. He knew that they would be able to handle the two Hunters with Jonahs help. He threw magic at the man to get his attention, trying to taunt him into paying attention to him only. It worked for he grinned at Rip and jumped forward. He was ready for it.

They clashed with both magic, teeth and claws. It wasn’t long before he knew he couldn’t hold back for much longer. He needed to use all of his power, which meant letting his Animalis out fully. He also knew that he couldn’t do it here. He may allow his team to see his magic but to see his fox side was another thing. He needed to get them away from the town. He pushed them towards an alley way, away from the others fights. He gave the man a kick, which sent he sprawling down the alley.

“You know, it’s only a matter of time before you are back in their hands,” The man growled at him as he climbed to his feet. “I know what they want with you and I’ll be first in line when it’s time,”

_That self righteous ass!_ His mind was screaming at him to tear this unworthy man apart. He may be a powerful species but that is not the only thing he was looking for in a Bondmate. It wasn’t what his power needed to grow. He didn’t know how he knew that, he just knew that this man was no where near worthy to Bond with him. He didn’t deserve any part of his power and he wasn’t going to give it to him willingly. He was going to fight him tooth and claw if he had to.

“We’ll see about that,” He growled low, releasing the rest of his Animalis. Nine tails unfurled from the base of his spine and splayed out behind him. The top of his head itched when his ears grew. His magical energy rose again, causing the surrounding area to bend and crack. The mindset that he had when he had been fight the time pirates was the same as he was feeling now. Only the excitement and protectiveness were left in his mind. The urge to protect was at the forefront of his mind above all else. His family was the most important thing to him and this man was trying to take that from him. He wouldn’t allow it.

They clashed again with a mix of magic and claws. He didn’t have the kind of experience with his power but he made up for it in motivation. Their fight pushed them away from the town, away from the bystanders. At least, that was only one of the reasons he wanted to get this fight away from the town. The main reason was so that his team would not see him like this, or see what he was about to do. This Leviathan may be old and powerful, but he did not have what he had.

A reason to live.

With an earth shattering howl, he threw himself at the man, tearing and clawing at him. He felt like a wild animal, out of control and thoughtless. His shoulder burned as he continued to allow his power to rise. He was trying to ignore it but it was growing more intense as the fight went on. But it didn’t make him weaker, or distract him. It made him angrier. Knowing that Savage, and the Time Masters were after him for his power, pissed him off. He couldn’t stand for it. He wouldn’t.

It was hard to get through the man’s magic, and even harder to get through the tough scales that covered his body. Especially when the man was fighting just as hard as him to get the upper hand. Neither of them could manage to get the upper hand. They seemed to be equally matched. He knew he couldn’t keep this up forever. It seemed like the fighting in town was starting to die down, which meant it wouldn’t be long before his team came looking for him. He couldn’t have that because then they would see... _this_. They would see what he was and he wasn’t ready for it. Not yet at least. He needed to end this now.

Fitting his foot against the man’s chest, he pushed him away. They were both covered in wounds, both bleeding and bruised. He growled low but all the man did was grin at him. This was taking too long and he needed to end it. His mind went to what Portia had given him but for some reason, he knew that he couldn’t use that now. His instincts were telling him he needed to save it.

“What’s the matter, Hunter? Giving up already?” The man cackled. “I was expecting more of a fight from the Councils most loyal dog,”

He was so god damn confident in himself that Rip just wanted to smack that smug look off his face. He was going to prove them all wrong. He was going to win. All he had to do was think of a way to out think the man. It was obvious that their power was matched but the man didn’t seem all too bright. It was probably due to the fact that the Time Masters have brainwashed him so many times. He would just have to outsmart the man.

This man, this Hunter depended on his strength to win. And he knew exactly how to make the man weak.

He rose to his full height, and spanned his tails out behind him to appear bigger. He let his magic dance across the tails, giving them a more powerful look. He wanted to make sure that this man was paying more attention to his power than what he was planning. He smirked at the man. “Do you honestly think that the time council will chose you? Would actually give someone like you this kind of power? You are not worthy enough,”

The growl he got in return was what he was hoping for. It was full of anger and hatred. It was something that he was trying to exploit. Make him angry, make him make a mistake. Then he would make his move. He needed him more angry though, more mindless.

“Because as far as I am concerned, you don’t deserve it. None of you stupid, pathetic time bastards deserve any of my power,”

The man roared and jumped at him. He swiped wildly, wild and out of control. Exactly what he wanted. He danced out of the way of the man’s claws and teeth, easily deflecting his magic and continuing to taunt him. The more he taunted, the angrier the man got and the slower the man got. It got easier to avoid his attacks, and easier to land his own. The mans magic had gone out of control and he seemed to be losing his ability to think clearly. Soon enough, the man was covered in more wounds than he was, and was breathing like he had just ran a marathon. He was not going to be living much longer. Rip knew then that this fight was his.

And it seemed like the Leviathan knew as well.

The Hunter took several steps back and held up his hands. “Wait, wait. I know you want to kill me, and I know I can’t stop you. But you must know that you can’t win against the council. They will continue to send people until you have nothing left. Your friends will die and you will be back in their hands.”

“They’ll have to go through me first if they ever want to get to them,” Rip growled, striding close. He gripped the mans’ throat and held him tight. “There is no way in hell that I would ever allow them to hurt my family again.”

“Family?” The man laughed, blood spilling past his lips. “That’s cute. When the council is done with you, you won’t even remember them. They will take everything you have and make you into something new.”

A snarl full of anger echoed out of him against his will. He would not allow that to happen. “They can try,”

The man laughed again, and Rip knew that he was dying. He released the man and he fell to the ground coughing. “They did it with your friend, Chronos. They did it to me. They did it to practically every person who works for them. They liked that monster inside of you when you were a child. That is why they recruited you. They wanted to see how you would turn out as you grew up.”

“I guess it didn’t turn out the way they wanted it to,” It seemed like the Leviathan wasn’t the only one that had a hard time controlling his anger. The more the man spoke, the angrier he got. The angrier he got, the closer he got to a full on Berserk. He did not need that right now and struggled to get it under control.

“Heh, you can say that again. You’re too soft, too weak to do what’s necessary,” The mans words were getting softer, as he got closer to death.

This time, it was Rip who laughed. “You have no idea what I am capable of. I have killed to protect my team and I am going to kill you.”

“Now that would be something to see.” The man spit out a mouthful of blood before pushing himself to his knees. “You couldn’t even keep your family safe, what makes you think that you can keep your...’team’ safe?”

Rip could not stop himself from lashing out and backhanding the man. To bring his family into this was unacceptable. He wished he had more time so that he could teach this man to think before he spoke. To not make the mistake of threatening his family, either of them. He knew he could have gotten the man to beg him for death, to plead with him to just make it end. He has done it a few times on orders of the Council and while he didn’t like doing it, he was really feeling like he should make an exception. But he couldn’t. Because he didn’t have time, and because he knew that if he did that, he would not be able to go back to the person he was before. He would not be able to say that he was on the right side if he fell into that habit once again.

“You know what makes me so confident now?” He hummed. He would not allow this man to make him lose his cool again. He had more important things to think of right now. “I’m not afraid anymore. I can use my power without fear from you or them. Or anyone else for that matter. Because I know now that I am stronger than anyone the council could throw at me,”

The Leviathan started chuckling again. He started coughing when blood filled his mouth again. He spit out a mouthful of the red liquid onto the ground. “Are you sure of that? Have you forgotten that the council has a secret weapon?”

The council has many weapons that they could use against him and his team so nothing came to mind right away. There were many that they could have used before now but for some reason, have not. “Oh yeah? And what is that?”

“They will send her after your team. She will kill all of them and you will soon be back in the councils hands,” The man fell forward onto his hands, breathing heavy.

“Her? Who is she?”

The Hunter knelt there, trying to gain his breath back but seemed to be having trouble. The seriousness of his wounds was catching up to him. “The Pilgram. She has killed countless people throughout time, some even more powerful than you,”

He has heard that name before but couldn’t quite place it. It didn’t matter because he would defeat anyone who tries to harm his team. “Let her come. I am not afraid of her.”

“You should be,” The man laughed again. “If you are going to kill me, then do it already.”

He knew that he didn’t have much of a choice. He could not allow this man to go back to the Time Masters. It wouldn’t be the first time he has had to kill and it most definitely will not be the last if what this man said was true. And to be honest, he wanted to kill this man. He _really_ wanted to. It would send a message to his pursuers that he was not one to be messed with.

Faster than the man could track, Rip struck out and cut the man’s throat. He heard the man gurgle, the blood spilling from the wound like a waterfall. The smell of copper filled his nose, making his inner fox growl in satisfaction. Another enemy down, another one out of the way. One less person gunning for his team.

He watched as the body fell to the ground, watched as the man took his final breath. Only when the man was dead, did he relax. He turned away from the scene in front of him to look back at the town. He blinked in surprise when he realized just how far away from town they were. He sighed, and started his way back. He couldn’t hear the sounds of fighting anymore, which made him think that his team had finally won. He knew that they could not see him like this, so he buried his fox traits once again. Golden sparks of magic flashed around the air as the fox traits disappeared. He briefly wondered what his team would say about his power. He knew that they would most definitely have questions for him, which he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to get out of.

By the time he got back to town, the exhaustion of using his powers had set in. He stumbled in a few of his steps, the ground was spinning before him and the pain in his body was beyond what he had thought he could feel. The leviathan had managed to get quite a few damaging hits on him and he knew that he would have to make a stop at the medbay before anything else. The worst of the pain was radiating from his shoulder but he knew there was nothing he could do about that right now. So he ignored it for he needed to make sure his team was safe. He used what little power he had left to strengthen himself so that the others would not be able to see how serious his wounds were. His eyes scanned the crowds around the square looking for his team. He relaxed when he spotted them. They were gathered on the opposite side of the street, talking with Jonah. He couldn’t imagine what kind of stories the cowboy was telling his team about him.

“Seems like you guys have handled things here just fine,” He spoke as he walked up to the group.

“Yeah, though I’m more concerned with what happened to you,” Sara looked over him in concerned. She eyed him up, probably taking in the blood covering his torn up clothes. She crossed her arms and looked at him sternly. “You look like you took one hell of a beating.”

“What can I say, the guy was tough, but I can assure you that he will no longer be a problem.” He shrugged, but he immediately regretted it when hot pain echoed through him. It was hard to pin point which part of him hurt the most, but his shoulder was at the top of the list. He pressed his hands against his side, against the worst of the wounds. He prayed that they would not “I’ll be fine. Gideon can fix it,”

“Really, Hunter? Can you not fight someone without getting hurt?” Jonah sent him a look, which made him roll his eyes at the man.

It didn’t matter what they were doing, Jonah always found a way to tease him. Like he enjoyed getting him riled up. Just like old times. He was a new captain when he had first arrived in this era, and very new to the whole Time Master thing. So when he met Jonah, someone he immediately took a liking to, he didn’t know how to handle it. He had been trained to do his job without emotions, and yet he allowed himself to do that on his very first one. When Jonah had found out who he was, he took it rather well. In fact, he would say they had become closer for it. Jonah was never good with expressing his emotions so he did it it teasing words and casual touches. Which was fine with Rip because he always understood the hellhound.

He bumped shoulders with the cowboy. “I handled it just fine. We’re all still alive so I’d say we did fairly well,”

“You don’t happen to have a flashy mind wipe thing for the town? Some of us had to use our future tech and powers,” Leonard drawled, looking around at the crowd. Most of them had ran to cover during the fight, but some of them were now trickling back out, probably to survey the damage. Most of them looked at their group curiously but unafraid.

He shook his head. “No. I don’t need to. The concept of this happening will not be very convincing to some people,”

Leonard smirked back at him. “You’re saying that even if these people tell, no one would believe them,”

“Disbelief is a powerful thing,” He shared a look with the thief. He watched as Jonah left their little group to his horse. He knew that the man would try to escape right after this whole thing was done. He must have known that Rip wanted to speak with him again before they parted ways but was still trying to escape. Rip wasn’t going to let him go so easily. He excused himself from the group and made his way over to the cowboy. “You leaving already?”

The man didn’t even try to act guilty. “The Stillwater gang is dealt with. I have no need to stay,”

“This town needs a new sheriff,” He tried to push but even as he said it, he knew the man would never stay here. Jonah has never been the kind of guy to settle down in one place, much less become a law abiding man.

Jonah shook his head with a smirk. “I ain’t much of a law man. You know that,”

“Yeah,” He chuckled. He knew what the man thought of law enforcement. He may have been a bounty hunter, but he didn’t like the officers much. Mainly because they get in the way of his bounty. “I guess I’m just sad to see you go,”

“That’s the thing, Rip. You’re a time traveller. You can come visit anytime you wish,”

God how he wished that was true. But he knew that it would be a very big risk to come back here. At least, while the Time Masters are after him. If he manages to live through their confrontation, he might just come back and spend some time with him. He might even bring Miranda and Jonah with him next time. Miranda has been dying to meet the man that had warmed his heart. When they completed their mission, he would bring her back here. He had a feeling that they would get on better then he and the cowboy had.

“We’ll see. Take care Jonah,”

Jonah smirked, the kind that always made Rip nervous. There was always trouble when he smiled like that. The man reached out, grabbed his arm and pulled him close. He barely had time to think before he felt the mans lips on his own. He gasped in shock and the older man took the opportunity to plunder his mouth. He knew that Jonah was not a gentle man, but the way he kissed him was like he was trying to win a battle. He let himself submit to the other mans tongue. He felt the mans hand slide down his back to grab his hips and pull him closer. He felt Jonah’s fingers brush against the skin of his hips and he shivered at the feeling. He normally would have been embarrassed that he was doing this in front of an audience but all he could think of was the taste on his tongue and the feel of his body pressed tight against him. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching up to pull the man closer so that he could deepen the kiss. He felt like he could spend hours making out with this man but he knew that it had to end. When Jonah finally pulled away, he was out of breath and his mind was at a standstill.

Jonah smirked at him. “Come around again sometime, Rip. We’ll have some fun then.”

Rip watched as Jonah climbed onto his horse and rode out of town, his heart falling slowly. He didn’t know whether or not he will ever see the man again. He wished that he would have been able to have some more personal time with the man before their inevitable final goodbye. Maybe even get to doing what they missed out on last time. Who knew when they would next meet, if they ever did.

Licking the taste of the man off his lips, he turned back to to his team to see all of them staring at him. Some were smirking, others were looking rather impressed. He felt his face heating up and he knew that he would not be able to live this down. So he did the only thing he could do. He straightened his back and moved over to the group.

“We should get going. The man I was fighting said that they were sending someone else, someone that is much more dangerous that the Hunters were.” He hoped that this particular topic would turn their attention away from what had just occurred. He could only hope, it seemed.

“Are we not going to talk about what just happened?” Sara was smirking at him like she was proud of him.

“Nope,” He continued on his way but he was sure the others could see just how hot his face was burning.

“Really? So we’re not going to talk about how that cowboy just ravished you?” Sara asked, stepping up beside him. She easily kept pace with his quick steps.

Rip stumbled in his steps when Sara said those words, his face getting even hotter. “Jonah did not...he did not _ravish_ me. It was just a kiss,”

“A kiss? It looked like he was about to bend you over right then and there,” Sara really had no filter between her brain and her mouth. And she had no shame in it either. Rather, she was still smirking, and it appeared that her words were affecting the others as well. He heard both Leonard and Mick chuckle and could sense that some of the more innocent members of this team were embarrassed as well.

Rip has been subjected to some of this teams more vulgar language but that did not help alleviate his own embarrassment. He was just glad that they were out of town so that the townsfolk would not have to witness this side of his team. But he wasn’t going to shoot them down knowing that they were happier now that they got Jax back. He did raise his chin in mock defiance. “Jonah has more class than that. He would wait until we were behind closed doors before doing that.”

Sara laughed, and bumped shoulders with him. “Now that would be a show I would love to see.”

He knew that if he didn’t put a stop to this conversation, it might spiral out of control and he did not have the energy to deal with whatever might come of it. He was bone tired exhausted and he just wanted to get back to the ship so that he could have a shower and fall into bed.

“I’m sure you would but you not get the chance to see it. We need to leave now before anymore trouble comes our way,”

“Are we going to be heading out right away again?” Jax asked from the middle of the group. The others seemed unwilling to let the younger man out of their sights. He hopped a few times to look over Sara’s shoulder at him. He seemed disappointed.

“Please say no,” Kendra moaned from somewhere near the back of the group. “I need a hot bath and some down time,”

He heard many affirmatives from the others and he nodded. “We will probably have a few days off before they send their next assassin. So you will have plenty of time to relax. Plus, even if we wanted to jump into the mission again, I have no idea where to go next,”

“It’s a good thing we do then,” Carter stepped up on his other side. He was bloody but he appeared unhurt. “While Sara, Kendra and I were gone, we discovered a way to defeat Vandal Savage,”

Rip was sure that his stomach dropped at that statement. He spun to face the hawk. “What? Really? Why didn’t you say something before?”

Sara laughed at his eagerness. A few moments ago, he looked dead tired and now he looked ready to hop into the next adventure. “We were a little busy dealing with the people who wanted to kill us.”

“And even if we know how to kill him, we don’t know where the item is that we could use to kill him,” Carter shrugged but he didn’t sound too upset about it.

“Tell me what it is and I can get Gideon to search for it,”

Carter shook his head. “Maybe later. For now, this team needs to think of things other than work. Which includes you by the way,”

“Which means you won’t be able to sneak off to your office when we get back,” Kendra spoke up from behind them. “We were actually thinking of a movie in the den. You know, after everyone gets cleaned up. You should join us this time,”

That sounded really nice. An evening dedicated to relaxing. But he he knew that he needed to figure out what he was going to do about his situation. Savage was trying to complete a Bond with him so that he could gain some of his power. They had apparently discovered a way to kill the snake, but his team refuses to tell him. And the Leviathan had confirmed what he had thought the Time Masters plans were for him. They wanted his power as well and would probably force Bond him to their most loyal soldiers. He would be stuck with them until he died. That thought made him want to run as far away as he could.

“So? Are you going to join us?”

Rip turned his attention back to his team as the ship came into view. He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe,”

Jax ran to the front of the group and stopped before him with a frown. “Aw come on. It wouldn’t be a team bonding experience without the man who brought us all together,”

Jax was looking at him with what Miranda would call ‘puppy eyes’ and he was reminded of how Jonas would do the exact same thing to get him to do stuff. He couldn’t resist him so he sighed. “Okay, fine. But I do have to get cleaned up. Give me... an hour,”

The grin that Jax was now sporting was worth it. He cheered and started for the ramp of the ship. He heard a few chuckles behind him and while he knew he should be sorting his thoughts, spending time with his team was what he wanted to do. He just hoped that doing this would not be a bad thing for him.


	42. Chapter 42

Despite his earlier assumptions, his wounds were not all that bad. His magic had healed some of the worst ones on the walk back, leaving the minor ones for Gideon to deal with. He was patched up in under twenty minutes and still had time for a bath. A nice hot bath were he could actually relax. His muscles were so sore and just relaxing in the very hot water would do a lot for them. It would also be good for him to just relax without having his mind run wild like it always did. Gideon seemed to have known what he wanted because when he made it back to his private bathroom, the bath had been filled with water that was just edging along the lines of too hot, just the way he likes it. 

He dropped his dirty clothes in the laundry shoot, probably to be burned later. There was no saving any of it, except his trenchcoat. He would never throw that thing away, no matter how dirty or destroyed it got. It was too important to him to even fathom letting go. He didn’t want to admit that he had stolen the coat from Jonah, but he had needed the comfort after leaving that time period. The only one that could give him that comfort was the one person he had to leave behind. 

He wanted to jump right into the tub but there was something he had to check. Moving over to the mirror, he turned to survey the damage of his shoulder. Portia was right to look concerned. It looked very bad. The original bite mark had darkened to a blackish colour and looked very infected. The black veins that spread out from it had spread halfway down his back. They haven’t gotten over top his shoulder yet, seemingly spreading more downwards. He tentatively pressed his fingers against the wound and had to bite his lip to prevent himself from crying out in pain. It seemed like touching it was a very bad idea. He took a few calming breaths before he straightened up. His shoulder throbbed in pain but he has had worse before. He focused more on getting clean. He knew that there was nothing he could do about it right now so he moved back over to the tub, planning on spending as much time soaking as he could.

He stepped into the tub, wincing slightly at the heat but soon found himself lowering himself into the water. The bathtub was big enough to fit three people at least so he was able to lay back and sink into a blank state of mind. He didn’t want to think right now. He just wanted a few moments to himself to calm his mind and his body. The hot water soaked into his muscles, making him more relaxed than he has been in the past day. He could feel the aches and pains fade away into the heat. His mind wasn’t even going crazy like it normally would have. It was like the water was washing away his concerns and worries. Either that or he was more tired than he had first thought.

He didn’t know how long he was soaking before a knock echoed through the room. It took him a moment to realize that he wasn’t imagining it. He opened his eyes and looked around the room.

“What?” He slurred. He must have been loud enough because the door slid open and Jax poked his head in.

“Dude, what’s taking so long? We’re waiting on you,”

He didn’t know what the cheetah was talking about. His mind was a little slow at the moment. The heat must have turned his mind into mush for he could not seem to form words. His confusion must have shown on his face because Jax sighed.

“You know, the movie?”

Oh, right. That. He did promise Jax that he would join them. He just wasn’t sure he would be able to get up right now. His body felt way too relaxed and weak to move right now. But he had made a promise to him and he felt bad about what had happened to him back in Salvation. He knew that if he had gone with them, then maybe it wouldn’t have happened. But they did clean the mess up pretty well, so he was thankful about that. So he would just have to suffer whatever movie his team chose.

After a few attempts, he managed to push himself up, the waters sloshing around in the tub. He pressed the button on the side to drain the water. “Sorry. Just finishing up. Just need a few more minutes to get dressed,”

Jax grinned at him, strangely happy for someone who had been kidnapped earlier that day. “Alright. I’ll wait in your room for you then.”

He reached out and grabbed a towel off the rack. Pulling himself out of the tub, he made quick work of drying himself. He reached out for a pair of sleeping clothes when he realized that he had forgotten to grab some before he had taken his bath. That would mean he would have to go into his room where Jax was waiting for him. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed about the young man seeing him half naked. He’s been on enough missions that had ended with him being either half naked or completely naked. He had no issue being naked in front of people. It was more the fact that he might see the wound on his shoulder. Jax was smart enough that he might be able to figure out what it was and that would raise a lot of problems with the others.

So instead of going out into his room, he called out to the younger man. “Hey Jax, can you grab me some clothes? I seemed to...uhh...have forgotten to grab some,”

He heard a soft laugh before the young man responded. “Sure. Any preference?”

“Just something comfy. Something from the top drawer would be fine.”

He heard the man rustling around in his room before a knock on the door. He opened the door partway and took the clothes the man gave him.

“You know, you don’t have to be embarrassed about being naked around me. I mean, you have nothing I haven’t seen before,”

Rip chuckled at that. He knew that Jax was trying to make him more comfortable and it was appreciated but unnecessary. He had no problem with nudity but he knew that if he argued then Jax might realize that something was going on. He began pulling on the clothes that the cheetah had picked out. A pair of sweat pants and simple grey t-shirt. Once he was fully dressed, he opened the door and gave the young man a smile. “I know, but I guess it’s just habit. I’ve never had any kind of team since I became a captain so I’m not really used to being so close to anyone.”

“That’s understandable I guess,” Jax looked around the room. “I mean, I’m the exact opposite. I have had a lot of people around me in life, with my family and with the football team. Even after I hurt myself, they remained my friends. Then I met Martin and I gained something more in life. I became a hero, and I thought that maybe this is what I have been waiting for,”

Rip didn’t know what had caused the young man to share this with him but he wasn’t going to stop him. This is the first time that he has actually had the chance to hear about Jax’s life. He may have done his research into this team, and he may know almost every important event in their lives, but that didn’t mean he knew how they felt. Plus, he has not had a lot of time to actually sit down and talk with the cheetah since they started this whole mission so maybe this would be good for the both of them. It would be a good opportunity to see how he was holding up. He has been through a lot in the past few weeks and he wanted to make sure that he was okay. 

“Is it matching up to your expectations?” He asked, genuinely curious. He wanted to know if the man regretted becoming Firestorm, or in the very least, regretted coming on this mission. Not that Martin had really given him a choice in the first place. 

Jax looked over at him, like he knew what he had been thinking. “In some ways, yes. There are times when I doubt myself, and doubt my abilities and choices but Martin is always there when I do. He helps me realize that I am not alone.”

For someone who was so young, he is able to actually give some good advice to someone like him. And it surprised him how much his words actually affected him. Jax was explaining his choices but Rip knew that he was also trying to help him. Jax has always been one of the more observant when it comes to emotions. He knew that the man could not feel the emotions in the air like he could, but it was almost like he could. The young man seemed to know that his mind was in turmoil and had wanted to help soothe some of his problems. 

And for some reason, he felt like he needed to comfort the man as well. “Well I can confirm that. With this kind of team around you, I doubt you will ever be alone again. I’m surprised that they even let you out of their sight to come and get me,”

Jax laughed and shook his head. “I know. They are rather protective of me. Of each other too. I’m sure that if someone else on this team were to get hurt, they would be all over it. They didn’t want to send me at first but I insisted.”

Rip chuckled at that. He knew how protective this team could be of each other. He knew because he felt exactly the same way about them. For people he has known for less than two weeks, he was strangely attached to them. He wasn’t one to believe in fate or destiny, but he believed that this team belonged together. If he was perfectly honest, he hadn’t really put much thought into who he was bringing onto this mission. He did his research, figured out who was not too important to the timeline and made a list but didn’t care too much as to who they were as long as they were useful. When he actually met them in person, it felt...right. He didn’t recognize the feeling at the time but he has had a long time to figure out his feelings. At least, he did before he learned some new stuff about himself.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. He would have time later to sort through his thoughts. For now, he needed to make sure that his team got some rest. “I’m sure they would be. Now, shall we go? I don’t want to think of what Sara would do if we keep here waiting for much longer,”

Jax shuddered. “That is something I don’t want to experience. But before we go, can I ask you something?”

Rip nodded, a little confused as to why the man looked nervous. They have been through so much together that Rip would have thought he would be more comfortable asking him about stuff. Unless it was a really personal question that he didn’t feel comfortable asking. But he wasn’t going to shy away. It was about time he started being more honest with this team. “You can ask me anything,”

“Why...” Jax paused, frowning a little. He shuffled from foot to foot nervously. “Look, we all saw the kind of power you have when you took on Stillwater. And it was...incredible, beautiful even. And even if we didn’t see your complete Animalis, we could still see how amazing it must be.”

“Uhh...okay?” He wasn’t sure where Jax was going with this. He was kind of expecting to be questioned on his power but for Jax to be complimenting him on what little they did see, was unexpected. He hadn’t been paying much attention to the team during his fight so he wasn’t aware that his team had been watching him that closely. He wondered exactly how much they actually saw.

“You did seem to be in control while you were using your powers, although you were a little...strange, but you still seem afraid of allowing us to see you for who you are.” The way that Jax said that, it was like he was saddened by it. The look on the cheetahs face made something break inside him. “I was just wondering why. You must know that we would never judge you for it.”

‘I know that,” Rip hurried to say. He didn’t want Jax to believe that it was their fault he wasn’t showing them who he really was. It wasn’t. It was all on him why he decided not to show them. It has been such a very long time since he has willingly shown someone his Animalis side, aside from Portia. He knew that his team would never judge him for it but he was not quite comfortable with it. He was getting better for he was willing to use his power in front of them. Most of the progress he has made was because of them so he should be the one thanking them.

“Can I ask why you are still so scared of yourself?” Jax was wringing his hands nervously, as if he thought Rip would get angry at him for asking.

“I’m not really scared. At least, not anymore.” Rip struggled with his words for a moment, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted. His thoughts ran around his head faster than he could sort them out but he knew that he wanted to calm the younger man to prevent him from feeling any worse. The thing is, he has never been good with talking about his feelings. So he was not sure how to put what he was feelings into words that would help Jax understand. “I’m just....not used to having so many people around me that actually care about me. It’s a little overwhelming. There’s also the fact that I have never really purposely shown that side of me to anyone. My power has often been too strong for me to control but I’ve been getting better at it recently. Like you said, I have more control over it, but I’m still not entirely comfortable with it. It always feels like I become someone else when I let it out. I do trust you guys, but I don’t think I’m ready for that quite yet,”

The worry on Jax’s face relaxed and he shared a smile with him. “I get it. We want you to feel comfortable with us, so you know we would never force you to show us. Speaking of the others, we should go before they get worried and send a rescue team. Come on,”

Jax led him through the ship to the room that the team had taken over. He kept trying to make small talk, no doubt trying to make him more comfortable. He probably thought that he wasn’t comfortable spending time with the others because he hasn’t really spent much time with them since this whole mission started. But he knew that this thing tonight was important to all of them. So he talked with Jax about small things while they make their way to the team room. Kendra had called it the ‘den’. Rip thought it was a little strange but he wasn’t going to get upset over a name. Jax didn’t even knock when he got to the door, just opened in and stepped in. Rip knew that it was too late to escape now, not that he really wanted to, so he resigned himself to his fate and stepped inside.

The room was the same as it had been the last time he was in here, except for the fact that they had moved the television so that it faced the bed. Maybe they thought it to be more practical in this instance. Everyone was comfortably splayed out on the bed, which surprisingly fit them all with some extra space. Which he was sure he and Jax would have to take up.

“Look who finally joins us,” Sara snarked from the middle of the pile. She seemed to relax slightly when her eyes landed on Jax. “Come here and settle down. We want to start the movie,”

Jax grinned and ran over to the bed, where he jumped onto the bed between Sara and Ray. He heard Martin, who was lying beside Ray, grumble at the young mans antics. Rips eyes scanned the bed looking for enough space for him but the only space he could see was between Sara and Leonard. His eyes narrowed, knowing full well that they were doing this on purpose. On Leonards side, he had Mick, Kendra and Carter, while Jax, Ray and Martin were on the opposite side beside Sara.

Knowing that he could not escape this, or change their minds, he moved to the end of the bed and crawled into the space. There was not enough space were he would not be touching either of them, but he didn’t mind to much. He just hoped that Leonard or Sara would not take it the wrong way when he settled in next to them. Once he was settled, blankets were thrown over them. He had thought it was just a movie but he should have known better. They were expecting him to stay the night here with them. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that.

“What movie are we watching?” Jax spoke up. He must have missed the choices.

Mick grunted. “The new James Bond one. The one we missed because we were gone.”

He was not really a spy film kind of guy, but he didn’t mind. He was exhausted enough to know he probably wouldn’t make it through the movie without falling asleep. So he was just going to lay back and enjoy the company of his team. He blinked in surprise when the lights went out and the movie started. He felt the bed move as every one settled in for the show. Feeling a pressure on his arm, he looked over to see that Sara had laid her head on his shoulder. She wasn’t looking at him but he could tell that she was waiting for him to tell her that he didn’t want her laying on him. He wasn’t going to because he actually did like having his team this close. When Sara realized that he wasn’t going to tell her to move, she settled in some more, even going as far to splay her wings over the team.

He tried to pay attention to the movie, but he could feel his eyes closing as the events of the past few days caught up on him. Both his body and mind ached and he just wanted a moment of peace. Being surrounded by his team, his family, was giving him a little of that peace he so wished for. He could feel his mind and his heart calming just by being next to them. Maybe he would finally be able to sort his thoughts while the others were focused on the movie. Maybe he would be able to find a solution to them and rid himself of the dark cloud that always seemed to follow him. It was kind of strange to him the effect that this team had on him.

First things first was what Portia has told him. This was the most concerning thing right now. The one thing that he needed to deal with the most. His power could be shared with people and he would need nine to make it fully stabilized. If he didn’t, either his body or mind would wither away and he would die. He could already feel the effects of it for his body was getting weaker. He hadn’t noticed it among all of the other problems he had, but now that he had the time to settle down and think, he realized just how tired his body was. He wondered how much longer he would be able to hide it from his team. He had asked himself in the beginning where he would find those people who he could trust, but he knew now that he was surrounded by people he could trust. And this team made eight people. These people were the only ones he trusted enough for this but he knew that he could not force them to accept the Bond. If he did, he would be just like Savage. He needed to find out exactly what the others felt for him and go from there. Maybe he could try to do more of this stuff with them. Be with them, find out how they really felt about this whole situation. Then he could ask them if they would be willing to help him. But the biggest thing was that they all had lives back in 2017 and he didn’t want to take them from that.

Speaking of Savage, he needed to figure out what he was going to do about that particular situation. He didn’t want to accept the Bond but if he didn’t, he would die in two weeks. His heart was telling him that he would rather die than allow himself to be Bonded to that monster. His mind on the other hand, was telling him that he needed to live. That he needed to survive this for the sake of his family and for the sake of this team. Portia had said that he would be able to kill Savage after they Bonded and he could live through it if he had the support. His heart was at war with this though, and he knew that he couldn’t focus on it right now. His mind was becoming a little too calm and he could feel himself falling asleep. He would have to put this off until another time. For now, he would just enjoy being here with his family.


End file.
